There are two reasons why it is important to note the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD). The first reason is that UBAD laid the foundation for Amandala (1969), Belize’s leading newspaper; KREM Radio (1989), Belize City’s leading radio station; and KREM TV. The second reason is that UBAD’s story is tied in with that of the late Philip Goldson, and it is nationally felt that Goldson’s position on the Guatemala issue was a position of principle and integrity. In addition, Goldson’s position on Guatemala is simply not going away. It is not going away because Goldson remained the choice of the Belizean people even when he was being replaced as the Leader of the Opposition. He was, and is, The Man.
The Guatemalan claim to Belize has once again emerged as the most important issue where Belize’s national future is concerned. The reason the claim is the most important issue here is because the British and the Americans have been demonstrating, each time there has been a diplomatic initiative to settle the claim (beginning with Webster’s Proposals in 1968), that essentially London and Washington wish for Belize to accept a status subordinate to that of Guatemala. The Hon. Goldson rejected such a proposition, from alpha to omega, and for his stand he died as a political exile where the now ruling United Democratic Party was concerned. Goldson died as Leader of the National Alliance for Belizean Rights (NABR).
Unbeknownst to those who founded UBAD in February of 1969, there was already a move afoot to replace Goldson as Leader of the National Independence Party (NIP), at that time Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Around May of 1969, Goldson, the most popular NIP politician, was challenged for leadership of the NIP at a national convention in Belize City. Goldson turned back the challenge of Dean Lindo, but Lindo claimed foul, left the NIP and formed the People’s Development Movement (PDM), which began publishing The Beacon the same month in 1969 when UBAD began publishing Amandala – August 1969.
In that same month, again, there was a fight between UBAD and CIVIC, an arm of the NIP, at the Harley’s Open Lot on North Front Street. A few days after that fight, Goldson’s newspaper, The Belize Billboard, burned to the ground. There were some NIP followers who suspected UBAD, but Mr. Goldson himself would not have sought a political alliance with UBAD two years later if he had believed that to be true.
In November of 1969, Premier George Price dissolved the House of Representatives (four months early) and called general elections for December. The NIP and PDM formed a hasty and shaky coalition, and lost 17 of 18 seats in those general elections. Goldson won the only Opposition seat (Albert), and therefore remained Leader of the Opposition in the House.
Three months after that, February 1970, the PUP attacked UBAD with sedition arrests, and began a war which was still raging in September of 1971 when Mr. Goldson sought an alliance with UBAD for the December 1971 Belize City Council election. The PDM boycotted the NIPUBAD coalition.
The issue in this editorial is how Goldson was replaced as Opposition Leader even though he was a national hero, the most popular Opposition politician, and had proven UBAD support. It is this editorial’s issue because the one big difference between the new UDP (founded in September of 1973) and Goldson’s NIP was that the UDP abandoned the “No Guatemala” issue, and focused on economic development. This had been the fundamental issue in the 1968 Webster’s Proposals – that Belize would enjoy growth and development as a state subordinate to Guatemala in matters like defence and foreign affairs.
Recently, London and Washington have come at Belizeans again. This time, it is with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). As was the case in 1968, 1981 (Heads of Agreement), 1991 (Maritime Areas Act), and 2002, the ruling party supports the London and Washington initiative. Goldson did not support London and Washington in 1968, 1981, or 1991, and he would not have supported them in 2002 (Ramphal–Reichler). The question for the people of Belize, who supported Goldson in life and in death, is whether he would have gambled his country at The Hague.
Power to the people.