And so there's bad news for the PUP again tonight, but the party soldiers on - today presenting its city council manifesto.
Lead by Karen Bodden, the team said they are about solutions, not promises.
Here's how that event at the party headquarters went:
Jules Vasquez Reporting
Mayoral Candidate Karen Bodden handed the manifesto titled Solutions, Not Promises to party leader Francis Fonseca this afternoon.
It makes 46 pledges - which Bodden likened to a grocery list:
Karen Bodden - Mayoral Candidate, PUP
"This afternoon, I want to invite all of you present here - our supporters and friends - to take a journey or take a walk with us down the isle of a very special supermarket. They name of that supermarket is 'Solutions, No promises.' And the orders are entitled, 'Back to the Basics'. This afternoon we are proud to present to you 46 basic items that Belize City has been lacking in for the last 6 years. And remember, Back to the Basics - simple. We can't build any skyscraper when we don't even have a street. We can't go with any beach when Belama Phase 3 already has a swimming pool. So we first have to make sure that we address the basics, and wherever we go, our people are asking for the basics."
And for those who've had their fill of manifestos and their promises, Bodden offered this one as an antidote:
Karen Bodden
"I've heard it said that people no longer believe in manifestos. They feel that it is just a part of the propaganda - all rhetoric. This afternoon, I take this opportunity to say to you that manifesto is not about rhetoric. This manifesto has come out of blood, sweat and tears."
And also sacrifice - before they even know how much they are going to get paid - these councilors have committed to a pay cut:
Lennox "Tambran" Young - PUP Councilor Candidate
"The first little thing that we can do is to take off a few hundred dollars out of our pay - each of us."
Jules Vasquez
"Few hundred per month, or per year?"
Lennox "Tambran" Young
"Per month, and we want that to go to the educational and feeding programs for the needy."
By our calculation, that's a pay cut of more than 10% - and if it sounds like a pie in the sky:
Karen Bodden
"We are not here to promise anything that we don't believe in ourselves. Remember this, for us, is a serious document."
The party held similar launches in other municipalities today.
Tomorrow the Party will launch its national manifesto and the UDP will do the same on Wednesday...
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