Capital Weekly 024

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Monday, March 5, 2012 Capital Weekly Page 1

No. 024 Monday, March 5, 2012 Price: $1.00

(Continued on Page 3)

CapitalWeekly

From the Heart of the Nation to the Soul of thePeople

BIG John!Saldivars Splendid Debate Perormance

Empowering

Grass-Roots

People

It was another goodnight or Plus V, an-other great opportu-nity or the residence

o Belmopan, and a big night or

UDP incumbent John Saldivar.It was the debate among

the three general election can-didates vying or the position oBelmopan Area Representativenow vacant since the Prime Min-ister advised the Governor Gen-eral to dissolve the National As-sembly one month ago and set theelection date or March 7, 2012.

Like the mayoral debateheld a couple weeks earlier, theevent was organized by Belmo-

pan-based national televisionstation Plus V, broadcast live onthat station, and hosted by its pop-ular morning show hosts LouisWade and Patrick Jason Andrews.

It was a eisty and en-tertaining three-way bout ea-turing the UDPs John Saldi-

var, the PUPs Amin Hegarand Independent Green Par-ty Candidate Richard Smith.

From the start, Saldivartook charge, establishing him-

sel as the legitimate Belmopanrepresentative, born and bredin the nations capital (Hegar isa ormer Area Representative oCayo West, deeated and retiredby Erwin Contreras in the 1998General Elections; Smith is aregistered voter in Cayo South).

Let me welcome the visi-tor to Belmopan, Saldivar re-marked at one point, reerringsarcastically to the eye Doctorrom the West whose vision and

playing politics with the issue inwhat he described as a character-istically PUP ashion. He com-pared and equated it with one oormer PUP leader Said Musas

disingenuous moments back in1998 when he promised to abol-ish the Value Added ax (VA)i elected, but ailing to indicatewhat he would put in its place.When Musa got elected, Saldivarrecounted, all he did was to bringback the same tax (VA), only bya dierent name. In like manner,Saldivar drew he parallel, Hegaris now promising to disbandRECONDEV, but neglecting tosay what he would replace it with.

Hegars response was ex-ceedingly weak, in act, hardlyaudible, let alone comprehen-sible. He was hardly back on his

insight was being severely tested.As to the Pastor rom

Roaring Creek, he had a ew goodlines and evoked some heartylaughs and applause, but on the

substance o the issues, it was clearthat both he and Hegar were outo their league, going up againsta heavy-weight like John Saldivar.

Early in the bout, hegarmade the mistake o throwingsome jabs and upper cuts atSaldivar, but none o them con-nected, and every time he madehis move, Saldivar counteredwith some over cuts that landedsmack on the orehead. Suchwas the case when Hegar dared

to raise issues such as nepotism,cronyism and whistle-blowing.Indeed, as Saldivar pointed out,it is the politicians whose runHegars party, the PUP, that are

the masters o nepotism and cro-nyism in Belize, and it was theywho enacted anti-whistle blow-ing legislation in this country.

But the rst knockdowno the evening came when Hegaraccused the UDP Government ousing RECONDEV or politicalpurposes and promised that ielected, he and the PUP woulddisband the statutory body. Saldi-

var countered swily and eec-tively, exposing Hegar as the one Story on Page 8

Hon. John Saldivar

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Page 2 Capital Weekly Monday, March 5, 2012

Capital WeeklyFrom the Heart of the Nation

To the Soul of the People

Published By:

Roots & Rhythm Ltd.

15 Gibnut Street

Belmopan

Chairman:

Delroy Cuthkelvin

Compositor:

William Cuthkelvin

Telephone:

802-1284

Email:

capitalweekly_bze

@yahoo.com

Delroy CuthkelvinChairman, Editorial Board

Noise-Makers versus Vote-Bringers

Our friends at

a local Ra-dio and TV

Network that is consid-

ered one of the so-called

media giants in Belize

have been running an elec-

tion-coverage promo in

which they assert that on

March 7, The noise stops

and the voting starts.

I ronical ly, that

same media organization

has been responsible forgenerating some of the

loudest and most mean-

ingless noise ever since

we entered the election

season, and especially

since the date of the Gen-

eral Elections were an-

nounced by PM Barrow.

No personal disre-

spect intended, but one

of the main reasons we

havent had much to sayever since the election

frenzy began is that there

is so much noise in the

market, so to speak, it is

extremely difcult, if not

impossible, to get any

sensible message across

the overcrowded airwaves.

Besides, we have

too little regard politically

for the so-called media-

moguls who claim to shape

public opinion, and too

much respect for the Beliz-

ean People, who in their un-

failing wisdom, we are con-

vinced, have already made

up their minds what is best

for them and their Country.

Politics, like any

other activity, is a disci-

pline in its own right, and

has its own professionals,

its own stars and its own

heroes. There are some in

our society who, by virtue

of their name recognition

and connections, have un-

limited access to media

and publicity; but that initself makes them neither

experts nor professionals,

let alone stars or heroes,

where the science, or sport,

of politics is concerned.

The true profes-

sionals and heroes during

this season, and especial-

ly on Election Day, are

those who have worked

the political machinery,

who know how to connectwith the electorate on the

issues that matter, who

have mastered the science,

or the art, of bringing out

the voters to support their

candidate and their party.

This is no conceit

on our part, but when we

consider all the factors go-

ing into these elections, we

nd it hard to conceive how

the UDP, having hit all theright chords, and having the

kind of tried and tested ma-

chinery that it does, can fail

against an Opposition Party

that clearly does not have

its act together, and worse,

to a group of indepen-

dent pseudo-intellectuals

who claim to be so much

smarter than the rest of us

that they dont even need a

political machinery to truly

contest a national election.

On top of all that,

or course, is the fact that

Belizeans clearly approve

overwhelmingly of the

proven, pro-Belize, pro-

people agenda of the UDPunder Dean Barrows lead-

ership; that the PUP is

clearly the same party that,

as the government, was

selling us out less than

five years ago, showing

no remorse and every in-

tention of doing so again

if ever given the chance;

and that the third-party/

independent elements have

neither the track-record

nor institutional capacity

to run a country one way

or the other. We are con-

vinced that the Belizean

electorate in 2012 is not

only fair, but also practical.

That, again, on both counts,

is in the UDPs favor.

As to the fly-by-

night, so-called pollsters,

one of our party col-leagues put it most aptly

when he suggested that

someone should conduct

a poll on who actually

believes the polls being

conducted in Belize by

persons who are clearly

not independent and have

an obvious axe to grind.

Those who made the

aforementioned proclama-

tion should heed their ownwarning: indeed, on Elec-

tion Day, the noise stops,

and the voting starts! The

real professionals, the real

experts and heroes on that

day are not the noise-mak-

ers but the vote-bringers.

H a p p y E l e c -

t ions , eve ryone ; and

may God Bless Belize!

he C ARIC O M Y outhAmbassadors Program (CYAP)is represented in Belize by DylanWilliams and Kera Bowen bothCARICOM Youth Ambassadors.In keeping with its mandate to Ensurethat youth have a voice in the decisionsthat aect them Belizes CARICOMYouth Ambassadors have developed acommunication strategy to encourageyouth to exercise their right to voteand participate in Belizes democracy.

he C ARIC O M Y outhAmbassadors recognize that youtho Belize constitute almost halo Belizes population and theirparticipation in the general andmunicipal elections is crucial ininluencing the uture o Belize.

he CYAs also recognizethat it is your constitutional rightto participate in your countrysgovernance and democratic process.Te CYA thereore challenge youthand the citizenry to participatein an apolitical manner and vote.

he CYA will launch itsVOE 2012 Campaign via a PublicService Campaign to be aired dailyon local radio, television and othermedia leading up to the Municipal andGeneral elections on March 7, 2012.

CARICOMYOUTH

Ambassador

Campaign

Kera Bowen


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Independent, Richard SmithTe PUPs Amin Hegar

February 15, 2012Logo/Slogan Competitions

Participate In The Belize National Sanitary Cattle Plan Project Logo/Slogan Competition!

The Belize National Sanitary Cattle Plan Project is a project funded by the Government of Belize partly through a Grant

from The European Union. The Project Execution Unit was established in January, 2012 and is housed at The Agricultural

Show Grounds, Hummingbird Highway, Belmopan City. This Unit, in collaboration with the Belize Agricultural Health

Authority, the Belize Livestock Producers Association and other stakeholders, has launched a public awareness campaign

seeking to educate and sensitize Cattle Farmers and the Belizean public about the importance and benets of this project,

including the need to get their livestock tested for Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis so that they meet the bovine animal

health standards that will enable them to export live cattle to Mexico.

Terms of the LOGO/Slogan Competitions:

Competition is open to (High School) Students ages (12-17)

An Individual may submit one (1) entry only

Logo/Slogan should incorporate elements related to the principal objective of the Belize National Sanitary Cattle

Plan ProjectParticipants are encouraged to be highly imaginative, inspired and show foresight in their submissions.

All entries must be original, unpublished, and not submitted or accepted elsewhere between start and end of the

Competition

Logos must be submitted in JPEG or PDF format

Immediate relatives of the members of the evaluation committee shall not be eligible to submit an entry

The Committee would not be obliged to accept a winning submission in the unlikely event that there are no

suitable choices.

In the unlikely event of a tie, winner will be selected by a blind draw.

The Winning entry and all rights thereafter becomes the property of the BNSCP- Project

The deadline for the submission of entries is on or before March 16, 2012 at 4.00 p.m.

Submission of Entries for BNSCP LOGO/Slogan Competition:

Submission of the Logo/Slogan can be sent via email however two (2) copies must be on CDs either hand delivered or

by mail to BNSCP- Project. Entry packages SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS FOLLOWS: Logo/Slogan Competition,Belize National Sanitary Cattle Plan Project, P.O. Box 169, National Agricultural Showgrounds, Hummingbird Highway,

Belmopan, Cayo District.

Prizes:

The winner of the BNSCP LOGO/Slogan Competition will receive a prize of $500 from the BNSCP Project.

Kindly note that an information package outlining the project overview and objective is available electronically and

will be facilitated to all interested individuals upon their request.

For more information on the campaign, please contact Kay Garnett, Administrative Assistant at the Belize National

Sanitary Cattle Plan Project, Tel:(+501) 822-2143/1283 or email [email protected] cattlesweep@

gmail.com We look forward to receiving all of your submissions, which we trust shall be creative, innovative and

exciting.

BIG John!Saldivars Splendid Debate Perormance

eet in time or the count o ten;and rom that point onward, heound himsel consistently onthe ropes, dodging devastat-

ing blow aer devastating blow.It soon became clear that

Green candidate Richard Smithwas capitalizing on the decisivebeat-down o Hegar at the handso Saldivar. Eectively assertinghimsel as the second best con-tender in the ght, Smith was cre-ating his own little side show, andas we noted earlier, evoking somegood laughs and applause romthe audience who were quiteamused by his pleasant sense o

humor, even i not particularlyimpressed with the substance ohis points and arguments. At onepoint he even appeared to be at-tempting to tag-team with Saldi-

var, oering to collaborate withhim on sports and other com-munity projects or the benet othe Capital City and its residents.

All in all, it was a prettygood night or Smith, althoughhe ound himsel momentarilydisoriented by a good jab rom

Saldivar, who pointed out thatSmith was not a voter o Belmo-pan; something which, legally,does not disqualiy him romseeking the position o area rep-resentative or the constituencyin question, but which, judgingrom the reaction o the audience,is in act a valid issue to them.

Unable to dodge the con-sistent battering by Saldivar,Hegar soon attempted to distancehimsel rom the shameul record

o the last PUP Government,claiming that this was a newPUP. hat one takes the cake,Saldivar responded, question-ing how the present PUP couldever be considered a new party

when it is the same old peoplethat are leading and controlling it.

Unable to deend his andthe PUPs past, Hegar then at-tempted to daub the UDP withthe same brush, accusing the cur-rent government o corruption;but Saldivar quickly demolished

his argument, drawing a sharpcontrast between the PUP andthe UDPs style o managing theNation and the Peoples aairs.We work the money, Saldivarstated. We dont steal the money.

When Hegar attempted toscore points by stating his posi-tion against oshore-drilling,Saldivar exposed his and thePUPs hypocrisy, citing the actthat it was the last PUP Govern-ment that issued every existing

(Continued rom Page 1)



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5/20


A Breath of Fresh AirWAVE Radio & V Airs Insightul Election Show

E ver since thelikelihood oEarly Gener-

al Elections became real,

the UDP haters and thosesponsored by special inter-ests have been on the loose,crowding the airwaves withtheir lies and vitriol.

Since the Electionswere announced, the noiseand malice has intensiiedexponentially so much sothat its next to impossibleto engage in a sensible dis-course anywhere throughoutthe regular talk show circuit.

It was, thereore, likea breath o resh air whenWAVE Radio and V brokethrough the oul smell o neg-

ativity and political malicewith a new pre-election showeaturing a panel o knowl-edgeable and mature experts,discussing the pertinent is-sues o the day and ocusingBelizeans on what really mat-ters going into these elections.

Te show debuted onSunday, February 26, andhas eatured persons likeMarilyn Williams, head othe Financial Intelligence

Unit (FIU) at Central Bank;Mike Singh, head o BEL-RAIDE; Steve Duncan,General Manager o the Heri-

tage Bank; Kenrick Ysaguerio the GS Unit; and DianeHaylock, President o NICH.

A second show was heldon uesday, February 28, andanother on Tursday March 1.

Te next show is sched-uled or Sunday March 4.

Panelists on the showhave presented nothing butthe acts, establishing beyonda shadow o doubt what thetrue state o the Nations a-

airs is and all that is beingachieved by the pro-Belize,pro-People policies o theDean Barrow UDP Admin-

istration, and totally demol-ishing the alse claims andbaseless assertions by thehaters and traitors who havesold out to special interestand who have been makingmuch noise across the so-called independent media.

Kudos to the organiz-ers and panelists o the newshow! It is, indeed, a breath oresh air bursting through theoulness o deceit and vitriol.

Te WAVE Radio and V Pre-Election Show, this edition eaturing Steve Duncan, Marilyn Williams and Mike Singh


6/20


Faith Lift

By Zelda Hill

Te Merits o Prayer to Church and State

Never be-ore, asin recentt i m e s ,

have world governmentsbeen conronted on everyside by world problems,national problems, socialproblems and moral prob-lems that they are unableto solve. Our country isno exception with prob-lems such as staggering debtcommitments, territorialclaim by Guatemala, escalat-ing crime, high unemploy-ment, broken amilies andoverall moral disintegration.

Although you may

believe that the new govern-ment which will be elected onMarch 7th has the answers toBelizes problems; be advised- they dont! Governmentsneed the help o every sectorand social institution o soci-ety, including the Church, asit executes its God-ordainedauthority to govern justly,guard liberty and securethe rewards o our industry.

Te Churchs role in

government is crucial tothe well-being o a nation.And even when the Churchendeavors to assume a moreinvolved role in governing,the value o prayer shouldnever be underestimated.Praying or government lead-ers has or ages been a maximand practice o Christianityand its rewards are mutualto both Church and State.

Church history vali-

dates that praying or thegovernment was not depen-dent on whether the leaderwas good or bad but onwhether one desired a peace-ul lie. Te Church Father,ertullian, who believed thatthe world needed Christian-ity or its wellbeing, wrote inhis Apology, a deense o theChristian Religion: We prayor all the emperors, that God

may grant them long lie, a se-

cure government, a prosper-

ous family, vigorous troops,

a faithful senate, an obedient

people; that the whole world

may be in peace; and that God

may grant, both to Caesar and

to every man, the accomplish-

ment of their just desires.

Naturally, if the state

is not safe, the individual

cannot be secure. Self-pres-ervation is an instinctive need

for each human being and

our desire to live in quiet and

peace should compel us to

pray for our leaders and our

nation. A good leader needs

our prayers so that he contin-

ues to do well and a bad leaderneeds our prayers so that hisevil decisions and actions canbe prevented. he prayerso the Church or our au-thorities should be provokedby the desire o everyoneto lead a quiet and peace-ul lie in all godliness and

honesty (1imothy 2:1-2).For the Gospel to be

propagated, Christians needthe protection o a godly ora god-earing government.Christianity is being outlawedin various countries o theworld as a consequence oanti-Christian governments.Recently aer the EgyptianPresident Hosni Mubarak wasousted, Christian intoleranceescalated and today Chris-

tians are being persecutedin Egypt by certain Islamicsects. Christians had receivedsome orm o protection un-der Mubaraks leadership al-though he was not a Christian.Observers say that the exodusrom Egypt o over 100,000Christians as o March 2011in response to the persecu-tion will detrimentally aectEgypts demographic diver-

sity and economic stability.he Scriptures warn

that such persecution will beprevalent in the last days. InBelize Christians are ree toworship and to proselytizewithout ear o harassment,arrest, torture or death. Itwas a rare but nonethelessstrange and startling experi-ence to witness the inuriatedreactions rom certain sec-

tions o the public who op-posed the churches reactionto UNIBAMs challenge toBelizes Criminal Code. TeChurch desires the reedomto proclaim prophecy, to ad-

vise against immorality and toperorm its redemptive role in

the society. But the durationand extent o such reedomwill be determined by theChurchs eorts to reach thelost and the ervency andconsistency o the prayers othe righteous people o Belize.

he Scriptures alsoshow that Gods attitude to-

wards a nation and His bless-ing or judgment is dependenton the relationship He haswith its citizens. Te wickedare oen spared or the sakeo the righteous as is evi-denced in the Bible on severaloccasions. When God toldAbraham about His plans orSodom, His actions were de-pendent on how many righ-teous people He ound there.God would have spared So-dom i He had ound 50righteous people at rst butthe pleading and interces-

sion to God by Abraham on

behal o Sodom reduced

the numbers to 10. Sadly,

God could not nd even 10

righteous people in Sodom

and the wicked city was de-

stroyed by re and brimstone

(Genesis 18:2-33; 19:24-25).

Daniel was among his exiled

people in Babylon when he

poured out his soul in ervent

prayer to God and earnestlypleaded or the restoration o

his people. God responded

immediately to assure Daniel

o the speedy release o the

Jews out o their captivity

(Daniel 9:1-23). A nation is

indeed privileged when it has

righteous people who inter-

cede on their behal in times

o tranquility and in seasons

o threatening calamities.

Te belie that Chris-

tians should not be involvedin government is neither

endorsed by the history o

the Christian Church nor by

Scriptures. It is rather sinul

when the Church neglects to

pray or the government since

our leaders are in authority by

Gods will. As sojourners in

a temporary system we look

orward to the perect reign

o peace and righteousness

when Jesus Christ will gov-ern on earth. But or now,

we pray or the election o

godly leaders and that godless

leaders will not hold posi-

tions o government. Belize,

lets pray that on March 7th

and onward our government

will be comprised o people

who will yearn or a pure

heart, a good conscience and

or aith in Christ and that

they will rule in the ear o

the Lord and ind wisdom

and direction in Gods truth.

Naturally, if the state is not safe, the individual

cannot be secure. Self-preservation is an instinctive

need for each human being and our desire to live in quiet

and peace should compel us to pray for our leaders and

our nation. A good leader needs our prayers so that hecontinues to do well and a bad leader needs our prayersso that his evil decisions and actions can be prevented.


7/20


The Belize National Sanitary Cattle Plan Project

Supply of Cattle Identication and Mounting Equipment

Our ref.: EU/BNCSP/IO # 01 of 2012

BELIZE

The Government of Belize (GOB) has received nancing fromthe European Union and intends to apply part of the proceeds to

payments under the Belize National Sanitary Cattle Plan Project

for the Supply of Cattle Identication and Mounting Equipment.

The goods to be supplied and delivered are:

1. 100,000 ear tags (ag type)

2. 80,000 Electronic Identication (buttons) with

electronic chip

3. 20,000 ear tag (button type) without electronic

chip;

4. 7 Stick riders for Electronic Identication Ear tag;

5. 50 Universal ear tag applicator (pliers) for cattle,The tender documents can be requested from the email

address [email protected].

Sealed tenders must be delivered to the Ofce of the

Belize National Sanitary Cattle Plan Project located on

The National Agricultural Showgrounds, Hummingbird

Highway, Belmopan, Cayo District, Belize, Central

America.

The deadline for submission of tenders is March 26, 2012 at

11:00 a.m. Belize time. Followed by the Public Opening at

11:30 a.m. Belize Time. Tenderers or their representatives are

invited to attend.

BIG John!Saldivars Splendid Debate Perormanceoil-exploration license, onshoreand oshore. I believe in drill-ing responsibly, Saldivar stated.

Saldivar scored anotherknockdown when the issue oa virtually unknown plan re-erred to as the Galdden Plan

was raised. Grasping at straws,Hegar attempted to make a come-back, accusing John Saldivar andthe UDP o lacking ideas, andpraising the other Saldivar, thePUP one who is the purportedarchitect o the obscure plan.

Tat attempt proved al-most suicidal or Hegar, however,as Saldivar questioned how itis that one o Arthur Saldivarscolleagues could now be prais-ing him when not one o them

supported his recent bid or lead-ership o the party in the wakeo John Bricenos resignation.

hat stunning counter-punch surely sent Hegar to thecanvass once again. And whenhe attempted to get back up,he was told by the moderatorsthat his thirty-seconds allot-ted or a rebuttal had expired.

On the issue o Immigra-tion Hegar clearly dealt him-sel an auto-blow as he irst

contended that it is the PUPthat welcomes immigrants, thenturned right around and contra-dicted himsel by condemningthe UDP or regularizing theirstatus as legitimate Belizeanswho had earned their citizenship.

When challenged byRichard Smith on the issue oallowing the Public Service tooperate without ear or avor,Saldivar noted that Smith wascorrect in pointing out that such

is the way things ought to be,and thats how they are underthe current UDP administra-tion. He substantiated his asser-tion by noting that a particularpublic servant o Belmopan had

just been promoted in spite othe act that he is the son o aormer PUP Cabinet Secretary.

Having proven that point,Saldivar went on to state categori-cally that i Smith was suggestingthat as elected politicians they

should hand over the responsibil-ity o governance entirely to thepublic ofcers, he would certainlynot be in agreement with that.Tere is no system in the Worldwhere elected ocials hand over

governance to non-elected people.(We must pause here to

state that we have personallyobserved how the Public Ser-

vice operates under Saldivars

leadership as its Minister, andwe must concede that PublicOfcers are being treated withthe greatest respect ever, some-thing they no doubt deserve,considering the vital, indispens-able role they play in the man-agement o the Nations aairs.

As the debate progressed,Hegar dared again to raise theissue o cronyism, and he wasimmediately silenced by Saldivarwho reminded him which gov-

ernment issued 30 Million romthe peoples money to one com-pany in one single day. Tatsnot how we are going to addressthis Countrys need or viableinvestment and sustainable eco-nomic activity, Saldivar stated.

Saldivar closed o thedebate by noting that as an arearepresentative he had kept hispledge to the residents o Belmo-pan, which includes staying intouch with them through neigh-

borhood meetings. Tey knowthat, because they live here, hereiterated, implicitly remindingthe audience o Belmopan resi-dents that his two political oppo-nents on the stage dont live here.

I have attended this de-bate out o respect or PLUS

V and the residents o Bel-mopan, but the People o Bel-mopan have already made uptheir minds,Saldivar concluded.

Indeed, it was anoth-er good night or PLUS V, agreat opportunity or the peo-ple o Belmopan, and a real-ly big night or John Saldivar.

I the debate is any in-dication, Saldivar is poised toreceive another term as area rep-resentative or Belmopan in the

General Elections which are nowonly days, indeed, hours away.Honourable John Saldivar, UDP Belmopan standard-bearer

(Continued rom page 3)


8/20


Hon. Melvin HulseStann Creek West Area Rep

Melvin Hulse issuing land-lease to a long-time resident o cowpen

A Happy San Juan Resident receives lease documents rom Hon Hulse

Empowering Grassroots People

200 Leases in San Juan/Cowpen

I

t was a happyday in the vil-lage o San Juanlast Wednesday

as over two hundred res-

idents received their landpapers, thanks to the deter-mination and hard work oHonorable Melvin Hulse.

San Juan and Cow Penare a special case,Hulse toldus.Yes, I am absolutely pleased

that I am able to make a dier-ence in grass-root peoples livesin the other villages in StannCreek in which people have

gotten their lots, because thatis how you empower peopleand you give security to people,having people own their lots,and that they were being de-

prived o many years. But, thebiggest pleasure I get in San

Juan and Cowpen is because

the people have been living hereor twenty-ve years, and noone in San Juan and Cowpenhad a single lease or the placethey have been living; and tome that is almost criminal onthe part o those who shouldhave taken care o their need.

he reason it justgot done now with me is be-

cause this is the irst timethat San Juan and Cowpenare is in Stann Creek Westwith me. (My boundaryused to end at Red Bank.)

But when I got in andI came here, all those peoplewho have been living in thosehouses in San Juan, the wholeo Cowpen, the people liv-ing in there, even the chair-man, the plan was never au-

thenticated, not one person

living in Cowpen who havetheir homes on their lots, whohave their children born intheir house, not one o themhas ever held papers or theirlots. Tat has been rectied.

I have encountered 25

people who have been work-ing a piece o land doing their

arming or that amount oyears; they now have possessiono it. It is surveyed, the plansauthenticated, and they ownit. Tat is how you empower

people, and that is why I getsuch pleasure in regulariz-ing the situation in San Juanand Cowpen. And that allowsthem now to move orward.

Speaking with us, vil-lage leader Javier Bejeranosaid, We have bout twen-ty ive years that the peopleare asking any minister who

go in to please survey the

area or them, but right nowthis day has reached, and weare happy or the armers.

So, to us, its a very, youknow, its a very happy day; andthanks to God, and thanks to

Minister Hulse, and thanks tothe UDP Government, becausethey are putting a lot o eortto accomplish all the thingsthat we deserve as Belizeans.

What Melvin Hulse hasjust done or the people o SanJuan is something he has beendoing or thousands o resi-dents throughout Stann Creek.

I inherited a constitu-ency where people were not

getting their lots. When I lefin 1998, virtually all thoseat the age o eighteen had a

house lot. What you have toappreciate now is that when Ilef, many o these people were10,11,12,14 years old. I havecome back now ten years laterand they are in their twenties.

I the previous two areareps had been doing this in amethodical way, there wouldnot be a necessity to now cre-ate almost immediately ourto ve thousand lots. Tat issad. And you go village by vil-lage, you will nd that a lot o

young people are living in theirparents homes; a lot o young people who have gotten mar-

ried and have their kids, havehad to build their little homeson their parents land, and itis almost criminal that theywere not aorded the oppor-tunity to own their own land.

So what I have done, Ihave already expanded in Man-

go Creek, I have expanded Red

Melvin Hulse issuing more land documents to residents o San Juan



9/20


Empowering Grassroots People200 Leases in San Juan/Cowpen

Bank, Maya Mopan, Georgeown, San Roman, SantaRosa, Santa Cruz, Sittee River,Hopkins, Silk Grass, Pomona,Hummingbird and Middlesex.

No village has gottenall the lots they need, because

nished every one get a hun-dred; we start again, and wemake sure that it is nished.

Indeed, in the pastyear or so, hundreds morethroughout the constituency

have nally gotten their landpapers, while hundreds o

Cruz; 100 in Sittee River; 70 inHopkins; almost a hundred inPomona; 40 in Middlesex; 100in Hummingbird Commu-nity; and survey is underwayor distribution o lots in SilkGrass and Valley Community,as well as in Steadast wherethe land is already cleared.

alk to anyone whoknows the history o Stann

Creek West, and they willconirm to you that beoreMelvin Hulse, there was nosuch thing as land ownershipin any signicant and mean-ingul way to the commonpeople. Prior to Hulses entryinto electoral representationin that constituency back inthe late eighties, early nineties,the big, wealthy companies

owned huge tracks o land andthe regular olks had nothing.

Tey and their amilies werebeholden to these wealthycompanies or which most othem worked. Sing the mas-ters tune, remain slavishlyloyal to him, or youre gone,

evicted without notice romthe premises you call home,but which was never, andwould never be truly yours.

hen came MelvinHulse, and suddenly peoplein Stann Creek Rural, nowknown as Stan Creek West,began getting their leases andtitles to their land. Tey sud-denly became empowered andindependent, being able to take

their documents to the bank,own their arms, sell theirproduce or an income andsend their children to schoolto become doctors, lawyers,accountants and engineers.

It is no exaggera-tion to state that in mostareas Hulse actually creat-ed villages where previous-ly there were only estates.

Aer he le politics in1998, virtually nothing hap-pened in Stann Creek West interms o village expansion orissuance o land to the com-mon people, although therewere obscene land grabs bysuccessive PUP area rep-resentatives and a handulo well-placed individuals.

Since Hulse returned

in 2008, he has been workingtirelessly and lobbying unds

rom Cabinet and anywhere hecan to pay or land acquisitionand surveys in order to expandvillages throughout the con-stituency and issue land par-ticularly to rst time owners.

Politics is too otena game o dependency andcontrol. I there is one wayto truly empower people,giving them dignity, inde-pendence and reedom romabuse and exploitation, itis through land ownership.

In this respect, Mel- vin Hulse might not be asmuch a politician as he is arevolutionary and liberator.

there must be a sense o equityand airness, because they allhave the same need. So, as themoney has become available,we have made sure that eacharea has been able to get their

part o the pie. So when that is

other new lots have been is-sued with immediate docu-mentation; 400 in Indepen-dence/Mango Creek, 100in Red Bank, 100 in MayaMopan; 50 in San Roman, 50in Santa Rosa; 100 in Santa

I the previous two area reps had been do-ing this in a methodical way, there would not be anecessity to now create almost immediately our to

ve thousand lots. Tat is sad. And you go villageby village, you nd that a lot o young people areliving in their parents homes; a lot o young people

who have gotten married and have their kids, havehad to build their little homes on their parents

land, and it is almost criminal that they were notaorded the opportunity to own their own land.

Melvin Hulse issuing lease document to a young landowner

Village Leader Javier Bejerano assists in handing out lease documents

Melvin Hulse issuing lease document to a young mother



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The Prime Ministers Tour Continued in

Dangriga, Sunday, February 26, 2012


11/20


The Prime Ministers Tour Continued in

Ladyville, Sunday, February 26, 2012


12/20


Montero Delivers Again!Ground Breaking or Santa Elena Library

Breaking ground or the Santa Elena Library extension project

Supporters o Hon. Rene Montero at the ceremony

Hon. Rene Montero

an insulated galvalum roof,

reinforced concrete tiled oor,

reinforced masonry block

walls, galvanized aluminumlouvered windows, burglar bars,

solid timber panel doors and

a male and female bathroom.

Te Santa Elena library will be renovated and expanded under the SIF project

Ap r o j e c t t h a t w i l lresult in the complete

renova t ion o f theSanta Elena Public

Library in the Cayo Districtwas officially launched on

Monday February 27, 2012.

The project is beingimplemented by the Social

Investment Fund and financedth r o u g h a l o a n f r o m th e

Caribbean Development Bank

with counterpart funding fromthe Government of Belize and

the community of Santa Elena.The project entails the

rehabilitation of a two storey

concrete building, which housesthe library, and the construction

of an extension to the existingbuilding which will serve as

a computer resource centre.

The work scope includes

the repairing of roof leaks,replacement of all eaves, fascia andceiling boards, erecting a veranda

block wall railing, installation of

gutters, downpipes, water breakers,installation of new windows and

solid timber doors, rehabilitationof the electrical and plumbing

systems, the tiling of the oor and

repainting of the entire building.

T h e n e w e x t e n s i o n

includes the construction of afully air-conditioned ground

floor concrete building with

As part of the project

a 6ft chain link fence will be

erected around the compoundsperimeter. The extension will

have a oor area of 650 sq ft and

will be able to accommodate 15

computers along with a study area.The Santa Elena Library

is strategically located in thetown, and serves approximately

1,500 persons on a monthly basis.

S a n t a E l e n a w a s

established in 1990s as asettlement, which later became

village after which it formed partof the twin towns of San Ignacio/

Santa Elena in the late 1970s.

Santa Elena is approximately 22

miles from Belmopan City andhas a population of approximately

13,000 people. The town is

growing very fast and has 5primary schools, 2 high schools

and 3 pre-schools. There is onlyone library in Santa Elena which

caters for the growing population.

The guest speaker attodays launching was Hon. Rene

Montero, Minister of Agriculture,Fisheries and Co-operatives. Other

speakers included representatives

of the Social Investment Fund,the Belize National Library

Service and Information Systemas well as the Mayor of San

Ignac io and San ta E lena .

(Information and

photos provided by Mr.

Mike Hernandez Jr. (Sr. J.P.)

Director of Public Relations for

the Social Investment Fund.)


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Gabriel Martinez DeliversLibertad Village Health Center Inaugurated

Hon. Gabriel Martinez and Hon. Pablo Marin posing or the cameras

New Libertad Health Centre

Te audience at the ceremony

Cutting the symbolic ribbon to ofcially inauguratethe New Libertad Health Center

Libertad Culture Group making a presentation at the ceremony

Almost 6,000res idents in

four villages

i n t h e

Corozal District now enjoy

better health services with the

construction of a new health

centre in Libertad Village. The

centre was ofcially inaugurated

on Friday February 24, 2012.

The new centre wil l

serve the villages of Libertad,

Concepcion, Caledonia and San

Joaquin with quality health care,

including general medicine, pre-

natal and post-natal and child

health care services, breast

and cervical cancer screening,

outpatient services and emergency

services among many others.

T h e p r o j e c t w a s

implemented by the Socia l

Investment Fund at a total cost of

$406,000 in collaboration with the

Ministry of Health. It was nanced

by the Caribbean Development

Bank (CDB) under its Basic Needs

Trust Fund 6 BNTF is a program

promoting poverty reduction

through socio-economic initiatives

and community empowerment

and is jointly financed by the

C a r i b b e a n D e v e l o p m e n t

Bank (CDB), the Canadian

International Development Agency

(CIDA) and ten beneficiary

governments, including Belize.The two-storey health

centre measures approximately

32 ft wide by 53 ft long with

a total floor area of 1,696 sq

ft on the ground and 1,440 sq

ft on the first floor. The upper

oor will be used as the Doctors

quarters and is equipped with

living and dining rooms, a kitchen,

two bed rooms and a bathroom.

The bottom oor will be used to

provide medical services to the

above-mentioned communities.

The clinic is equipped with male

and female bathrooms, a treatment,

examination and consultation

rooms, a pharmacy/dispensary, an

asthma bay area, a sterilizing room,

a utility room, a waiting area for

patients, a kitchenette and outdoor

shower for the general public.

The ferro-concrete building

was constructed with a reinforced

concrete foundation frame, oor

and roof. As part of the project a

chain link fence was constructed

around the perimeter of the health

centre, an access road and parking

space was also included. The

community of Libertad contributed

the landscaping for the facility.

The village of Libertad

is located in the Corozal District

some 7 miles south from Corozal

Town. The village has a population

of approximately 1,727. Most

of the villagers worked in the

papaya industry and the Corozal

Free Zone with a minority still

involved in the sugar industry.

The guest speaker at the

official inauguration was Hon.

Pablo Marin, Minister of Health.

Other speakers included Hon.

Gabriel Martinez, Minister of

Labour, Local Government and

Rural Development, representatives

of the Social Investment Fund and

the Libertad Village Council.

Information provided

by Mr. Mike Hernandez Jr. (Sr.

J.P.) Director of Public Relations

for the Social Investment Fund


14/20


Setting the Record StraightLooking Beyond the Elections

(Te ollowing is a portion o PM Barrows Statement toTe Belize Chamber o Commerce, February 20, 2012)

Someone oncereerred to thetime o cam-paigning that

precedes any general electionas the silly season; and indeedwe have become accustomedto expect cartoonish behaviorand outlandish propaganda asa natural eature o the elec-toral landscape at this time.

In that vein, there is

one issue that has perhapsmost lent itsel to this theatreo the absurd; that is, needlessto say, the Economy. Accord-ingly, the alse charges on thisscore have been legion, andcertainly to hear the otherside tell it, the government isin dire nancial straits, and itis precisely because things areso bad (according to them)that I have hurriedly called an

election beore the crisis canbecome common knowledge.

Ladies and gentle-

men, let me immediatelydispatch that particularpiece o misinormation.

I h a v e e x t r a c t e drom the Ministry o Fi-nance the headline budgetnumbers or 2011/2012.

Te approved estimatesprovided or recurrent rev-

enue o 784 Million Dol-lars. he revised out-turnshows that we actually col-lected 831.8 Million dollars.

Recurrent Exp en-diture was budgeted at729.5 Million, but actually

came in at 732.2 Million.he upshot, ladiesand gentlemen, is a Recur-rent Surplus o 94.6 Mil-lion Dollars, as opposed tothe approved estimate oonly 54.5 Million Dollars.

On the capital side,Capital Revenue was 6.8Million, as compared to the5.3 Million budgeted; andCapital Expenditure was

kept to 140.9 instead o the160.4 Million projected.

Altogether, then, thenumbers this scal year pro-duced an 89.8 Million DollarPrimary Surplus, as againstthe 67.7 Million orecast. Tisrepresented ully 3 percent oGDP, as compared to the 2.2percent that was budgeted.

And even aer you addamortization and interest pay-

ments, Belizes overall scaldecit is only 22.4 Million or0.8 percent o GDP, as against

the 46.4 Million or 1.6 percento GDP that was orecast.

Ladies and gentle-men, even i I say so mysel,this is an impressive peror-mance and constitutes thebest iscal record in ages.

O course, the gov-ernment numbers are also

accompanied by a 3 percentGDP growth, oreign reserveso 500 Million Dollars, loadso nancial liquidity, and out-standing increases in ourism,Citrus and Sugar earnings.

(I should take this op-

portunity to congratulatethe President o the BB orreally what has been a phe-nomenal year. I see that weexceeded the 250 thousandmark in overnight visitorsor the rst time since 2007.)

Im thereore proudto say that in the middle odogged sluggishness world-wide, and especially in Eu-rope, Belize has recorded

stellar comparative gains.Now, the upcoming s-

cal year will be just as good,we think, with respect toeconomic growth, and thatis why I can say in the mostsolemn ashion this ater-noon that a re-elected UnitedDemocratic Party Govern-ment will ensure that thereare absolutely no tax increas-es in the next budget year.

O course, the Gov-ernment o Belize numberswill have to cope with thestep up in the Super Bondsinterest rate to 8.5 percentover the next scal year. Tepayments will thereore gorom 65 Million to 92 Million.

Ladies and gentlemen,it is on the basis o the statis-tics that I just nished recit-

ing, and perormance overthe last our year that, on thewhole, more than kept theship o state aloat. It is onthe basis o all this that mygovernment has been able toachieve the unprecedentedsocial strides that saw thestitching together o a saetynet o historic proportions.

And it is that general

It should be clear by now, thereore, that I amproposing a radically altered relationship betweengovernment and the private sector; a new over-arching paradigm must be created in which ofcialbureaucracy and red-tape must be cut. Detailedrules o engagement and a careully constructedroad-map must be agreed; and a culture in govern-

ment o quick, courteous and efcient service wouldbe a sine qua non o the next UDP Administration.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow addressing Chamber o Commerce



15/20




saety net together with thetargeted gang interventioninitiative in Belize City thathas resulted in the seminal re-duction in crime and the mur-der that we saw particularly inthe last our months o 2011.

Since we introducedthat gang truce in Septem-ber o 2011, the murder ratedropped something like 37percent between Septem-ber and December o 2011as compared to the simi-lar period the year beore.

Tat reduction in themurder rate continues into2012. We are at a total o

8 murders or the year soar, as compared to 2011when, by this juncture, wehad 14, with 6 in Februaryo 2011, which was the low-est monthly murder rate orthe entire 2011.

Well, already, in Jan-uary o this Year, we had just (i I can use that wordin connection with some-thing as undamentally tragic

as a murder rate), we had just our murders and so ar

in February another our.Ladies and Gentlemen,

the UDP Maniesto contains amessage rom me, and I wouldlike now to read one excerptrom that message because ohow important I think it is.

In the irst term, the

UDP set great store by its pro-poor initiatives, its housing,education, employment andinrastructure drive. Govern-ment, as a matter o policyand deliberate strategy, becamebigger. At a time o shrinking

private sector activity becauseo planetary conditions, thiswas the right thing to do, theonly thing to do. But the secondterm should see a gradually im-

proving worldwide economicclimate, with an eventual re-turn to previous levels o or-eign direct investment andinternational tourism activity.

Tis now requires great-er emphasis on the Belizean

private sector; and that Gov-ernment should do more toensure the kind o enabling cli-mate that will spur greater job-

creating and wealth-enhancingbusiness activity in Belize. Kay Menzies o the Chamber o Commerce welcomes the PM

Continued rom Page 14



16/20




Tis, then, will be thechallenge or the next UDP Gov-ernment: to consolidate and ex-

pand public sector investmentin people and the Economy,while at the same time harness-ing growth and development

rmly to an enhanced driversrole or the private sector.(PMs Maniesto Message)

Te point is, ladies andgentlemen, that I think thebuilding blocks are in placeand the oundation has beenwell and truly laid by Govern-ments policies over the lastour years. But we are now ata point where we must once

again recognize the PrivateSectors pride o place in anytruly sustainable leap orward.

It should be clear bynow, thereore, that I amproposing a radically alteredrelationship between govern-ment and the private sector;

anew over-arching paradigmmust be created in which of-cial bureaucracy and red-tapemust be cut. Detailed rules oengagement and a careullyconstructed road-map mustbe agreed; and a culture ingovernment o quick, cour-teous and eicient servicewould be a sine qua non othe next UDP Administration.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow Members o business community listening to the PM



17/20


BELMOPAN CITY COUNCIL

INCENTIVE PACKAGE

2012/2013

As of January 1, 2012, Property Owners in the City of Belmopan are eligible to

participate in the following discount package:

15% Discount for full payment of 2012/13 Property Fees from March 1 and March

31, 2012.

N.B. Senior Citizens (65 yrs or older) are eligible for an additional

5% discount for properties on which they reside.

For more inormation visit your Belmopan City CouncilOfces at 36/38 Trinity Boulevard, Belmopan City

Or call: 822-2271, 822-2319 or 802-3679

PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

PUBLIC NOTICE

REVISION OF RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM PLAN

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC; the Commission) hereby serves notice this day, March 1, 2012,

that, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by the Belize Telecommunications Act, Chapter 229 of

the Laws of Belize, it intends to prepare a revised Radio Frequency Spectrum Plan for the Country of

Belize.

The Commission is engaging the services of a consultant to assist in the revision of the current Radio

Frequency Spectrum Plan. Under the Terms of Reference of the consultant, specific attention will be

paid to the Band of Frequencies from 614 to 809 MHz (currently assigned to On-Air TV Broadcasting)

and the range of frequencies 1990 to 4200 MHz and 5725 to 5925 (currently assigned to various

Fixed/Mobile Wireless Services).

The Commission is inviting written comments and representations from interested persons in regards to

its proposal to revise the existing Radio Frequency Plan. Deadline for submission of comments is

4:00pm on March 30, 2012.

Written comments and representations may be submitted to the Commission at its offices at 41

Gabourel Lane, Belize City, or by email to [email protected].

Upon completion of the consultancy, the Commission shall consider the recommendations of the

consultant and the comments and representations of interested persons in the preparation of the

revised Radio Frequency Plan.


18/20


Completing the WORKS

In Stann Creek West

Helping Grass

Roots People


19/20


La Ruta Maya 2012Marking the End o the Mayan Calendar

Last Years 14th paddlingo (the) La Ruta MayaBelize River challenge

still remains in the mindso all the ans that were on

the Belcan Bridge and onthe banks o the HauloverCreek to witness one o themost spectacular nish in thehistory o this mega-event.

Te LA RUA MAYAnow going into its 15th yearhas become Belize Biggestour-day sporting event un-der the watchul eyes o Mr.Roberto Harrison, the presi-dent o the La Ruta Maya.

With the input o him and hiscommittee, the race has surelygrown over the years. It wentrom a one category race in itsinception, to seven dierentcategories today, and has alsobrought back the history o theOld Belize River to the young-er generations o Belizeans.

he Old Belize Riv-er was or a long time theonly means o transporta-tion rom Belize City to SanIgnacio, so when the la RutaMaya committee decided tostart this race, the Old Be-lize River, at least or ourdays, came to lie once again.

Tis year, Day One o

the race will start on the 9tho March at 7 A.M. romunderneath the HawksworthBridge, making its rst stopat Banana Bank. his jour-ney will take the paddlers alittle bit over 46 miles andabout 5 hours to complete.

Day wo, the longest othe our days, will get started at6 AM at Banana Bank March10 and nish in Double HeadCabbage. his leg covers adistance o about 67 miles andwill take the rst canoe to crossthe nish line about 7 hours.

Day Tree will start atDouble Head Cabbage at 8AM on March 11 en route toBurrell Boom, a distance oabout 39 miles, and will takethe rst canoe about 3 hoursand some 59 minutes to nish.

Te nal day, Day Four,will get started at 9 AM onMarch 12 in Burrell Boom,heading to Belize City or theoverall inal inish, that legbeing a distance o about 25miles, which will take the rstcanoe about 3hrs to inish.

In speaking to us, the

President, Mr. Harrison, saidthat the oreign competitorsor this year will be many andwill have a signicant impacton the race, and that he ex-pects to have more canoesoverall in the race this year.Last year, 93 canoes startedthe race, with 91 inishing.

In the Elite Category,

it was the Zip Rider CavesBranch canoe who in a spec-tacular sprint against the Be-lize Bank canoe on the lastday edged out the Belize Bankcanoe by a mere one secondto win the overall race. Be-

lize Bank had entered thenal leg o the race trailing

Zip Rider by three seconds.With about y yards

rom the nish, Belize Bankmanaged to open a gap oabout our seconds on the ZipRider canoe to take the lead inthe overall standing, but withall they had in their tanks le,the Zip Rider canoe mountedone the most exciting nishesI think you will ever see inthe Belize La Ruta Maya River

challenge, to close the gap andbeat the Belize Bank canoe byone second to the nish line.

Tis year, according tothe President, we will onceagain have the opportunity tosee all the teams that took part

in the elite category line upcome the 9th o March. eamPeace Makers, who won theemale category, will be backto deend their title. Also, teamCrime-Fighters representingthe Police will be back to de-end their title in the PleasureCategory, having last yeardethroned the 2010 champion

Print Belize. We will also beseeing the champion romMasters-Mixed, Intramural,Family and Dory Categories.

Over the years, accord-ing to the President, RobertoHarrison, the La Ruta Maya

has also garnered a huge anbase that ollows this pres-

tigious event rom start tonish; and this the year, hesays, the event is a special onebecause it coincides with theend o the Maya Calendar.

he Mayans were, ocourse, living in Belize andusing the Old Belize River.Mr. Roberto Harrison thanksall those who have invested inthe LA RUA MAYA to makeit a success over the years.

He also expresses thanks tothe paddlers who invest a loto time on the river practic-ing to give the loyal ans agood show come game day.

GOOD PADDLING,G U Y S A N D G I R L S !

Read Capital Weekly OnlineIn Living Colours at:

belizenews.com/CapitalWeekly

By Reynard Garbutt

Zip Rider, 2011 Elite Champions barely edged out Belize Bank

A record number o canoes expected to enter the race this year


20/20


Documents

Capital Weekly 024