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Since then, the Opposition Party has used that comment at every opportunity to suggest that the UDP administration neglects its duties to those residents who don't support their party. The Prime Minister has stated that he wished King hadn't said it. So when we met King at the City Council convention this weekend, and asked him if he's had second thoughts, he told us that he still stands by it:

Daniel Ortiz
"That comment you made is now immortalized, you said UDP first, Belizeans and PUP last. Seeing the backlash and the way the opposition party has used it, would you have wanted to retract if you had the opportunity?"

Hon. Mark King
"I will absolutely not retract my statement that I made. As a matter of fact the media need to be responsible in reporting. If you look at the entire statement, it says that a government serves all its people - all Belizeans. What I indicated was that for mass parties in politics, UDP will serve their UDPs first and PUP will serve their PUPs first, so what do you think, all the streets that the city council is fixing, wont UDP and PUP use those streets? You have to be really simple not to understand that and at the same time Francis Fonseca will never ever get an apology from me even after I die. So I don't have any apologies for that. My UDP and PUP friends and everybody in Belize know what I meant and they need to read the entire statement on the media; I said government take care of all its Belizeans. That was just cut for the PUP to play a game with."

Daniel Ortiz
"In a situation like this it's a controversial comment and its always use for political football, do you see it affecting those in your constituency who may be on the fence or maybe PUP supporters but they may be willing to support you in the next election."

Hon. Mark King
"My brother let me tell you, I know is with me and who is against me. There is no on the fence. In Lake I, there is UDP and there is PUP and right now if you look at the poles today Lake I top the poles at this convention which is simply telling you that we are going to top the poles for the municipal election. I have no fear. I am battle tested you know, the media and the public can bring whatever they want on me but when I give them the truth, it is the ultimate truth and I keep my word. You know that and I don't minced words. So at the end of the day I've been battle tested and I will continue to say what is truthful to the Belizean people and that is so - that statement is truth that I said to the Belizean people."