7 News Belize

Briceno Says: Where's My Christmas Assistance?
posted (December 20, 2011)
For the past few nights we've been telling you about the Christmas assistance that the government has set aside to be distributed in the 31 electoral divisions.

Each division should get forty thousand dollars - which is used - in most cases - to buy Christmas groceries - and it should go to the poorest of the poor in those areas.

The Prime Minister told us on Friday that it's completely above board - the money is being channeled through various ministries. Well, former leader of the opposition and Orange Walk Central Representative John Briceno today complained to us that none of that money has been channeled to him as area rep - so he presumes it was directed through his opponent, UDP standard bearer for central Denny Grijalva.

Briceno says, Grijalda is not a public official, so he shouldn't get the benefit of deciding how taxpayer money is directed. Here's more of what he told us, via telephone from Orange Walk:..

Hon. John Briceno
"I was quite surprise when I watch the news that the Prime Minister made that announcement because he just came out from a House meeting and I think that he should have made that announcement at the House and the only reason he made his announcement of the UDP vote buying Christmas assistant program was because you the reporters brought it up to him."

"As the area representative and I have been elected by the people from my Orange Walk Central since 1993, I knew absolutely nothing about it and to this day nobody has called me, not the ministry of finance, not the ministry of social development or any of the departments of government to tell us that there are $40,000.00 available for us to use to try to assist the people of Orange Walk Central."

Jules Vasquez
"If your opponent the UDP standard bearer in Orange Walk Central Mr. Denny Grijalda, does he appearing to be spending this Christmas assistant money. Is he the recipient of it or is it being channeled through him?"

Hon. John Briceno
"We in Orange Walk Central are finding out that the UDP standard bearer have access to this money and not the representative that the people elected in 2008. I don't think it's going to help any of the candidates of the UDP. I think that it can have a backlash."

We could not reach Grijalda for comment on whether he did get an opportunity to direct the forty thousand dollars in Orange Walk Central.

But we did see Belize Rural Central Area Representative Michael Hutchinson sharing out the goodies in Ladyville today. Here's how he's spending his area's allotment:..

Hon. Michael Hutchinson
"What I do I have my workers all over in the constituency in all the villages and they went out and they select the most needy people and how we did it we had to give 3 service provider and the best one is the one we pick and that was K-Park and so far from out of what we have gotten we have manage to give like 513 bags with the basic food items for a Christmas meal. A long with that they get either a ham or a turkey."

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize