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And while we had the Prime Minister, we also asked him about the PUP's press conference yesterday.  The Leader of the Opposition and three PUP Mayor's criticized the Prime Minister for politicizing public works – and putting public funds at the discretion of unelected UDP divisional caretakers.

The PM didn't shy from the charges; he reiterated what he told us yesterday: who pays the piper calls the tune:

Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"When they spend, they hire their persons that they wish to hire, so when government spends, to me, it is perfectly in order that government should provide the list for the recommendees from employment, so I will not resile from that at all. No caretaker has anything to do with the money. As I indicated we have entered into a contract with Mr. Woods directly. The mayor of Dangriga selected the streets. The only thing he doesn't get to do is pick the employees, and even then I gave him ten percent. Recollect that before the last election that twenty million dollars in housing money that the Venezuelans gave, which was spent in one month; no opposition person saw a penny. Recollect that the seven thousand dollars a month that the opposition representatives in the house get for the setting up of offices and for votes, you find out how many of them even have an office, by and large they put that money into their pockets. They are the last ones to talk along those lines. The mayor of Dangriga presents himself ecstatic that the government was being so good. I find it a little disappointing that he has now changed his tune at the instance of his good leader."