7 News Belize

UDP Marched "Like A Tremendous Machine"
posted (February 17, 2012)
And while Musa is still willing to take the blame, UDP Party Leader Dean Barrow is ready to take all the credit for an unprecedentedly large showing by his party today.

In terms of a non-national event - concentrated to only city-based supporters - we haven't seen anything quite like what the UDP rolled out today.

But we wondered, is it a function of genuine popularity or money politics taken to another level?

That's what we asked party leader Dean Barrow:

Jules Vasquez Reporting

Dean Barrow - Party Leader, UDP
"This is the greatest display that I have seen all my years of politics on a any nomination day."

Indeed, the UDP crowd is the biggest we have seen for any nomination day parade - it extended from the junction of Vernon Street and Central American Boulevard right up to the Belchina bridge - as their supporters kept saying, a sea of red.

Each of the city's ten divisions had its own crowd, it's own box or band, and its own steam - from above we'd put the crowd in the range of two thousand because, while some divisions had about 100 supporters, some of them also had four hundred - some even had two different sets of crowds.

The crowd visibly throbbed from above, but on the ground, it was wild - like the atmosphere of Carnival, 10th and 21st all wrapped into one red blanket.

Party Leader Dean Barrow led the way high-stepping with his faithful supporters.

Dean Barrow
"I have to feel that this is, without a doubt, a huge victory with perhaps even bigger numbers than last time."

Jules Vasquez
"But is this indicative of electoral progress, is it indicative of just money?"

Dean Barrow
"No, I think that it is without a doubt indicative of of electoral progress. People on the sidelines are enthusiastic; there is spontaneous support for the UDP."

Jules Vasquez
"What accounts for this unprecedented show today?"

Patrick Faber - UDP Party Chairman, Collet Candidate
"Hard work, Jules, we have been organizing this party for elections for at least the last - I'd say - 15 months or so."

Jules Vasquez
"how much of it is a function of the fact that the UDP is a wealthy, resourced party. These people won't come out here for free."

Patrick Faber
"I don't know where you get that from, you know. The UDP has been a party for the people. The people of Collet - for instance - know that their representative has been there for them, and that's why they are out here today. You know that they can rely on Patrick Faber and the UDP for another 5 years, and we will be there for the people. So this isn't a rent-a-crowd, Jules. This is support based on the fact that the United Democratic Party is a party for the people."

Anthony "Boots" Martinez went down to the pavement for his people and even did a dance with his opponent from 2008 Oscar Rosado - whose on the right side of your picture, who not only danced with Martinez, he also nominated him:

Anthony Boots Martinez - UDP Candidate Port Loyola
"My former opponent is one of the endorsers of my nomination today."

Jules Vasquez
"What is this crowd indicative of? Sometimes people think that maybe the UDP is the 'gouty man'. UDP has the money right now, so people will come out with them."

Anthony "Boots" Martinez
"You can interview people out here and see if they are collecting anything. This is all about love; this is all about 4 years of hard work. This is about the fruits of labor."

Jules Vasquez
"I spoke to Mr. Fonseca this morning. He said that it's an electoral fantasy.There is no way you can win in Freetown."

Lee Mark Chang - UDP Candidate, Freetown
"Freetown deserves the best, and Freetown will choose the best best candidate to lead Freetown."

Jules Vasquez
"But he can be Prime Minister, and they want to vote for a Prime Minister."

Lee Mark Chang
"If he wanted to be Prime Minister, he would have started working a long time. That man is doing nothing, and he does not deserve to represent Freetown."

Jules Vasquez
"I spoke to your opponent this morning, and he said that what he is telling voters is that it's better that they vote for him from now because you will not stay in office. You will win and then step down."

Michael Finnegan - UDP Candidate, Mesopotamia
"Poor little fellow; he is a poor little fellow."

Jules Vasquez
"From what you've seen on nomination days, how does crowd compare?"

Michael Finnegan
"Let me tell you the truth. Whoever brings out the crowd on nomination day wins the general election."

Jules Vasquez
"Before, you've told me that you see Jan canoe dances than this. That was what you told me when PUP used to bring the crowd."

Michael Finnegan
"Whoever brings out the biggest crowd, wins the general election."

And Faber was brought to the nomination office on the shoulders of his supporters - the kind of gesture that gives the UDP a feeling of supreme confidence and being comfortably at ease going into the March 7th election.

Michael Finnegan
"The UDP will win massively in Belize City, and the UDP will win comfortably throughout the country."

Jules Vasquez
"What kind of victory numerically?"

Dean Barrow
"I don't see us winning less than 20 seats."

So what's the bottom line on the crowds? Well, the UDP one was definitely larger, but it's hard to have a precise figure because of the number of vehicles in the way. But, judging based on the time it took for the procession to pass an area and its general mass, we'd say the UDP had about two and half times the crowd of the PUP, with the PUP having between 750 to one thousand, and the UDP having about 1,750 to two thousand.

The UDP is reporting large crowds in a number of areas, but one that caught our eye was in Orange Walk - where the Deputy Prime Minister Gapi Vega seems to have outdone his boss, the PM. As we showed you on Wednesday, Party Leader Dean Barrow went out in front of the parade and greeted voters. Well Gaspar Vega did the same thing, except he ran! For the entire length of his procession! Whether he was trying to re-enact a scene from Rocky - we don't know, but we can say that he definitely got the workout of the day running about one and a half miles from the park in Trial Farm to the nomination station in town.

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

7 News Belize