Life Haada out ya, but be patient, have understanding

“The hardest of the UDP term is the upcoming year, I need to ask the Belizean people for their understanding” Prime Minster Barrow

When they were in opposition the UDP posted a sign on top of their headquarters that said “life haad out yah!” When the elections drew near that sign was replaced by one that said, “Imagine the possibilities.”  In his usual glitter, the Prime Minister spoke on Independence Day 2008 of bright blue sky and a future of possibilities.

Two years into his term, the great promise that Belizeans will realize the possibilities have been changed and this Prime Minister, who termed his victory in 2008 as the People’s victory is now asking even more of the Belizean, telling everyone to be patient and understanding.

For an outsider listening to this Prime Minster come before his nation begging for patience and understanding they would never believe that this man is the same person who stood and boldly proclaim that he would bring down the cost of living “no matter what!”  When the entire world was at the drawing board looking for solutions to an economic crisis that was raging on he challenged the odds, or was it stupidity?

During Wednesday’s four minute State of the Nation Press Briefing PM Barrow said that his government was shackled by the global crisis, by the super bond and by a “crippling debt burden.”   The records will show clearly that Mr. Barrow was fully aware of the economic crisis long before he took the oath of office.  A good leader would have come to office with a plan to manage such a situation.

As for the super bond, why hasn’t he offered a better plan?  Belizeans would forgive him if he came to them and said that although he voted in favour of the Super Bond in 2007 he now has a better way, but has a better solution to the problem been found?  And as for the crippling debt, well this administration continues to borrow and add to the debt.

Dean Barrow did not find any worse a situation than what Mr. Musa had to deal with in the last years of his administration, but ask any Belizean who is not a “FoB” and they will tell you, that two years ago their lives were much better than it is today.

Something that was clearly missing from the PM’s special press briefing last Wednesday was any mention of his much proclaimed “stimulus package.”  Where is the report on how the stimulus was working?  How is the stimulus helping people to get back to work? How has small business benefitting? Has the stimulus assisted our farmers and other local producers in any way?  Unlike in other places, here in Belize there is not a single talk of the so called stimulus.  Because there is no stimulus!

Indeed this comes as no surprise to us here at the Belize Times, after all our Party Leader and the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. John Briceño said it as far back as last March during the House debate, he asked: “Where is the stimulus?  Where is the package?”

Today all the Prime Minister can boast of is $150,000 to fix a few broken streets and a programme for young people that was to have ended at Christmas.

What is of greater concern however are the complete defeatist attitude of this Prime Minister and his circle of Dodo Birds.  With the diplomatic corps present, with his cabinet and all of his most senior management in the room, the Prime Minister could not muster one word of encouragement, not a single assurance that everything is going to be all right.  There was no call to “hold hope high!”  No talk of brighter tomorrows, no consolation that a plan was being devised or perhaps the team of high priced advisers in the Ministry of Finance were hard at work hammering out a strategy.  Instead the people got excuses, the blame game and talk of the past.  As for solutions, well the best he could offer was tighten your belt.

A new sign is required at the UDP Headquarters, it should read: “Under Barrow and the UDP life no just haad out ya, Life haada out ya!”

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