| PM: “Up Close And Personal” |
| Mon, July 28, 2014 |
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| In February, the Prime Minister gave a remarkably candid interview to the press outside the National Assembly. It was during the cheque scandal at the Belize Airports Authority and he spoke plainly about corrupt acts by his ministers threatening to cause his government to come undone. After that he said he would address it at length during a long form interview. We were told the PM was having some difficulty selecting a media personality with whom he felt he could do the interview, and so, after five months, his office settled on Steve Duncan, a banker who hosts a UDP talk show. He's not a media personality by any working definition, but he was Johnny-on-the-spot for the PM in what is called an "Up close and personal interview." The 77 minute interview aired last night simultaneously on all channels, and the PM discussed a wide range of issues, including his misbehaving ministers and all the credibility they have caused his administration to lose:..
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize
"I came to office with a determination that people ought to be able say well you know the people we voted out were bad, the people we have voted in are good. That has slipped away to a large extent. Indeed people have started saying well you know your government is just as bad as the last government. That is exaggerated, that is hyperbolae, but the fact is that it is the actions of some of the members of my government that those actions had been abled people to start making that huge leap. Though it doesn't take away from the fact that they did something wrong and they did something wrong under my watch and under the watch of the United Democratic Party, so we have to live with that, but I say again, there is no way you are ever going to have a perfect government with perfect individuals and the deal, the undertaking with the public could never have been that I will absolutely prevent any minister from going astray - that's not possible."
The interview will repeat tonight at 8:00 on Channel 7.
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