In a speech broadcast and televised nationwide on Wednesday, Prime Minister, the Hon. Said Musa, made comments to the effect that the business people were being misled by their leaders, who were being used by the Opposition UDP. The Prime Minister knew that that was not the case, even as he knew that the unions were not in the employ or service of the UDP, but he was in political quicksand, and he had to come up with a party line for the PUP faithful. And that was it ? everybody who was opposed to the budget was working for the UDP!

Based on my experiences with the Heads of Agreement in March/April of 1981, I believed that the key organizations in the pot that was looking to boil over last week, were the Public Service Union (PSU) and the Chamber of Commerce. When the PSU declared their strike in protest against the Heads of Agreement near the end of March 1981, the society at large took it as a cue to erupt. I do not remember how it was that the Chamber of Commerce had proceeded, but for sure the business people had come on board with public opposition to the HOA.

In the middle and late 1970?s, Belize had strong, militant trade unions, some of whose leaders had been trained in Cuba and Eastern Europe. My personal belief has always been that, in return for the United States? agreeing to support political independence for Belize, Premier George Price agreed to dismantle the more ideologically militant Belizean unions. These were replaced with pro-American unions, and I would refer specifically to the electricity union as an example.

The result of that post-1979 dismantling was that it remained for the PSU to take the stand in 1981 against the sellout to Guatemala, just as the PSU had done in 1966 and 1968. The other unions had been sacrificed in order to achieve the Holy Grail of independence.

The economy of Belize has changed in the 24 years since independence. The utility unions have become powerful: they have been energized by new generations of workers. The electricity workers have recovered their machismo. And the national teachers union has grown over the last two decades to become a force any politician must respect. An umbrella union had been quietly formed which embraced all these unions ? the NTUCB. Over the years, I always thought to myself what a potentially fearsome force that NTUCB could be in a critical moment. And yet, year after year, the NTUCB lay quiet, never flexing its muscle the way its member unions could have.

I did not expect the NTUCB to hold together under the stress of last week. But the union leaders pretty much did hold together, and as an experienced nationalist leader, I must take this opportunity to say to the younger, more inexperienced leaders who stood tall last week ? my brothers and sisters, I know the great stress under which you are now living, and I express my love and solidarity with you.

There was a time when, if our newspaper got into a war with one of the political parties, we had to run for protection to the other major party. That time is no more. The business community and the unions provide a protective matrix for the independent media. The politicians can?t push people around the way the PUP did in the 1960?s and 1970?s.

You may well say, what the hell are you talking about, they not only push us around these days, they drag us around and beat us with clubs. I agree, but the ruling politicians, especially those in and around the old capital, will live to rue the evening of Friday, January 21, in Belmopan. The masses of the people in Belize City have not yet revolted. If they do, then it will not be so easy to restore order as it was in Belmopan. Trust me.

This is not a threat. Consider this. The teachers and other workers in Belmopan had a lot to lose. But in Belize City there are thousands of young people who have nothing to lose.

I don?t know how the PUP got themselves into a situation where they have united so many institutions and organizations in opposition to them. I suppose it is the natural arrogance born of having three more plus years to rule.

I have not participated in the debates on political reform which have been going on for several years in the nation. But now, I would like to make one suggestion. Let us have general elections every four years, instead of every five. It will give us, as the people of Belize, a little more control over the politicians.

This ruling set is out of control, and I, for sure, am not a UDP. Neither am I a Guatemalan, Alejandro.

Power. Power to the people.

(This article has been reproduced from the Wednesday, January 26, 2005, issue # 1928 of Amandala.)