Ministers were agitating for the demotion of the party?s national campaign manager, the man who has functioned as the ?financial brain? of the party and the current Musa administration ? Mr. Fonseca. (The PUP Northern Caucus normally includes all eight area representatives/standard bearers. Johnny and Agriculture Minister, Hon. Servulo Baeza, both of the Orange Walk district, were members of the G-7.)

Living up to that pledge, the caucus this week Monday night took down the most senior man in the G-7. Hon. Johnny Brice?o, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of State in the Minister of Finance­who had resigned from Cabinet with the other six G-7 members on Monday, August 16, but had been reappointed two days later­has been ousted as leader of the party?s Northern Caucus.

Amandala sources say that Brice?o and Baeza were not at the caucus meeting last night, September 6, when Johnny was voted out as the leader of the Northern Caucus. Orange Walk East area representative/Minister of State in the Ministry of Works, Hon. Dave Burgos, was assigned to take over the Northern Caucus.

We understand that Brice?o is out of the country today and so was unavailable for comment. However, one source told us that, ?He did not expect it.?

On Thursday morning, August 12, when Brice?o was in Chicago, six Cabinet Ministers met with Prime Minster Musa, detailing a 9-point agenda that they wanted the Prime Minister to implement. Through e-mail, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed his support for the other six Ministers. (The DPM arrived in Belize on Sunday, August 15.)

The first point on the list was, ?That there be change at the highest level of public sector financial management.?

Most of the demands of the group of Ministers, who have been dubbed the ?G-7?, targeted the Government?s financial policy and management of public finances. In a press release dated August 15, the Northern Caucus called the demands of the G-7 ?irrational.?

?The demands of the Gang of 7 target the offices of the Minister of Finance [then Hon. Fonseca] for his removal; their motives (as perceived by the nature of their demands) seem to be driven by personal interests and obscure political agendas,? the Northern Caucus said.

Though they never claimed so in public, it was widely reported that the G-7 Ministers wanted the ouster of Ralph Fonseca, who has largely influenced Government?s financial policy and management, according to both party and Government insiders. However, keen observers have had a hard time divorcing Fonseca?s role in public finances from that of current Finance Minister, Hon. Said Musa, who had previously served as Finance Minister from 1998 to 2003. (From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Fonseca was Minister of Budget Management.)

Two days after the G-7 resigned, the Prime Minister announced that he had increased the Cabinet from 13 to 16 Ministers, neutralizing the power of the dissident G-7 , which had been reduced in less than a week from a majority in Cabinet to a minority.

The Prime Minister took back Finance, and two members of the G-7, Brice?o and Works Minister, Hon. Joe Coye, became Ministers of State in the Ministry of Finance.

Then last week Cabinet reported that it had formed a ?Public Finance Committee? of 8 members, four of which were from the G-7. Notably, both Musa and Fonseca were assigned to the committee, while Brice?o and Coye are among the G-7 members on the committee.

We understand, however, that the G-7 members are not pleased with the level of responsibility that Fonseca still has for public finances. On August 18, the Prime Minister announced that Fonseca would be responsible for finding new financing, via bonds, for the Government. We understand that the point man behind GOB?s latest move to float US$100 million on the Caribbean market through the Royal Merchant Bank of Trinidad and Tobago is the Hon. Ralph.

While the Prime Minister evidently still has confidence in Fonseca?s ability to secure a new injection of foreign funds for the economy, there are those, even inside the ruling party, who question where the trail of bonds will lead Belize in the long run.

For their part, the six area representatives/standard bearers who signed the Northern Caucus press release on August 15 pledged unequivocal support for the Fonseca-Musa team. At the same time, they expressed ?great disappointment with the actions of the Gang of 7.?

In addition to Burgos, the men who weighed in against the G-7 were: Hon. Vildo Marin, Corozal Bay; Hon. Florencio Marin, Corozal Southeast; Hon. Valdemar Castillo, Corozal North; Dr. Gregorio Garcia, Corozal Southwest; and Hon. Ismael Cal, Orange Walk East. Except for Greg Garcia, all the abovementioned are elected area representatives. Dr. Garcia is married to Narda Garcia, the general manager of the Social Security Board.

The men also expressed their ?satisfaction and support with the economic policies of the People?s United Party implemented by the Hon. Ralph Fonseca, Minister of Finance, which brought unprecedented growth and development to this country since 1998.?

They expressed ?unconditional support? for the Prime Minister and ?furthermore declare that we stand firm and be prepared to take any actions that may be warranted by the Prime Minister in order to defend our constitution, safeguard the interests of our nation, and preserve the unity of the People?s United Party.?