Philip Goldson?s NABR, which had split off from the UDP in 1991, made an alliance with the UDP just before the 1993 general elections. The agreement was that, if the UDP/NABR alliance won, then the new government would repeal the Maritime Areas Act (MAA), the same MAA which had caused NABR to break off from the UDP in the first place. The UDP/NABR won the elections, but the MAA remained firmly in place.
On the matter of Kremandala’s alliance with the PUP between 1998 and 2004, we are discussing this matter now because some of our PUP friends are grumbling loudly about the fact that KREM TV has sold an hour of telecast time to the UDP’s Pickstock candidate, Wilfred Elrington.
In the first instance, we need to point out that, unlike BEAT Radio and FM 2000, for example, Kremandala is not owned or subsidized by the PUP. We do business with the Belizean public without discrimination based on political affiliations. We have bills to pay and employees’ payrolls to meet.
Secondly, if the PUP candidate in Mr. Elrington’s division, and that PUP candidate is a man who is known to be a wealthy man, ever feels that he would like to respond to Mr. Elrington’s show, then there are various ways he can do so. Kremandala resumed its neutrality as of December 28, 2004. This is a business decision.
Our experience with the PUP between 1998 and 2004 was that the leadership of the PUP established over that period of time that they had a favorite on the Southside in the person of Queen?s Square standard bearer, Richard "Dickie" Bradley. Even though Mr. Bradley did not win his division in 1998 or 2003, the fact of the matter was that he controlled more government resources than any other PUP standard bearer on the Southside.
This was an incredibly awkward situation for Kremandala, because Bradley had risen to fame on KREM Radio, and the vast majority of our people believed that his loyalty to Kremandala was absolute. In fact, that was not the case. But what could we do? Should we have gone to our people and said, that gentleman you think is so loyal to us is more loyal to the PUP leadership? How silly we would have sounded. There was nothing we could do, except allow time to be the proof.
Now to the matter of the moment. Hon. Godfrey Smtih’s Pickstock constituency will include, in the 2008 general elections, a substantial portion of what has been Lake Independence since 1984. This area is bounded by Partridge Street in the west, the Haulover Creek in the north, Sarstoon Street in the east and Vernon Street in the south. This area of Lake Independence, known as Area 16, was always more UDP than the areas to the west, Area 17, for instance.
Mr. Smith has entered his new Lake Independence constituency, but he has entered it with a chip on his shoulder where Kremandala is concerned. The reasons for this chip on Godfrey Smith’s shoulder are several, but space does not permit us to go into details presently. Mr. Smith?s position, where Kremandala is concerned, is hostile. Mr. Smith?s attitude is not businesslike. He is in a quarrelsome mode.
This is what our PUP friends must know. Kremandala has been on Partridge Street since 1972, when the Hon. Godfrey Smith was a toddler. We understand why our PUP friends are concerned that the UDP candidate will be on KREM TV. Our PUP friends should also understand, however, that it is the Hon. Godfrey Smith’s conscious choice not to be on anything having to do with Kremandala.
We are sure that, as time goes along, Hon. Smith will rethink his attitude. After all, he did not reach the lofty position he has reached in our House of Representatives by being a rash or silly man. Mr. Smith is a highly intelligent man. He may presently be ill-advised, but that is something for him to decide.
Kremandala has not gone UDP. That is not the case. We have our friends among both the red and the blue, but it is for sure we have more PUP friends than UDP ones. The extreme party faithful, both red and blue, have to adjust to a changing political reality in Belize. The majority of the Belizean people are no longer dyed-in-the-wool red or blue.
Oh, there’s one other point, PUP friends. Four weeks ago, when Mr. Wilfred did not have a show on KREM TV, Area 16 went UDP big time! The Election and Boundaries Commission released the municipal elections? figures of March 1 as if Area 16 was still Lake I, but the PUP worked that election campaign according to the new configurations, with Area 16 as Pickstock. In Area 16 for the Belize City Council elections, Hon. Godfrey Smith was in charge. Check the stats.
Hon. Smith is a man who needs to work on rebuilding some credibility. You know why, and we know why. Remember, PUP friends, the only thing we have always had in abundance on Partridge Street is, you guessed it, credibility!