When Amandala contacted the Offices of the Public Service Commission for an explanation, the office?s director, Justin Palacio, told us that he preferred that we get our information from the man in charge of the Post Office Department – Ministry of Energy and Communication?s CEO, Henry Anderson.

When we spoke with Anderson to find out if the reports were true, that is, that after acting for a year in the post without adverse reports, Wade would not be promoted, and that the substantive holder of a head of department post, the Comptroller of Customs, would be sent to administrate the Post Office, a job that he reportedly knew nothing about, Anderson, like Palacio, basically took the ?Fifth Amendment.?

?Ask the Public Services Commission,? he said.

?We already asked the Commission,? Amandala said, ?and Mr. Palacio told us to ask you.?

?Ask him,? said Anderson. ?They are the ones who promoted him [Lopez?]and informed us.?

Amandala understands that five Post Office employees will suffer: Elston Wade, Jr., 11 years experience; Ewart Bradley, 26 years experience; Wilbert Zelaya, 21 years experience, and two other officers.

Wade, Bradley and Zelaya have taken their cases to a higher level. This evening the Public Service Union confirmed that the three have asked it to make representation to the Public Services Commission, condemning the move as inimical to the best interests of the Post Office.

All three employees have had extensive training in post office matters, both in Belize and abroad, Wade told us today. He and Bradley, additionally, have attended a post office training school in England, learning about postal management.

All five people would have made a step up in their careers, said Wade, but now there is nothing to look forward to.

Anderson had told us that the post of Postmaster General had been advertised ?several times,? but the Public Service Union spokesperson pointed out that if Wade?s performance was not acceptable, he was never told, and even during his one-year stint as acting Postmaster General, there were no complaints about his performance.

Amandala tried to speak with Lopez today, but was told that he was not at his desk.

Newspaper sources say that Wade is being ?stepped on? by politicians because someone heard he was interested in contesting the PUP Belize Rural North convention. Elston Wade?s younger brother, Jerome, has long been a prominent campaigner for the incumbent PUP area representative, Hon. Maxwell Samuels.