7 News Belize

More Pain For PUP: Harrison Puts On A Hurting
posted (March 17, 2015)
Richard Harrison - just 75 days ago he was a national candidate for the PUP, the subjects of ads on this newscast, and glowing endorsements from his party leader Francis Fonseca. But in quick time after his historic defeat he has faded into obscurity; Harrison disappeared from public view before the votes were finished counting in the Cayo North bye-election.

But he has re-appeared quite suddenly with a searing political commentary called "A Post Election View From Under The Bus." It appeared last night on the Breaking Belize News website out of Cayo.

Harrison starts by saying that the party leadership, quote "threw him under the bus" when it endorsed his replacement Michel Chebat without his knowledge. Harrison takes this as an affront after all he gave in the failed bye-election effort and he concludes, angrily, quote: "This is the kind of rogue dictatorship that a party which voluntarily suspends its own constitution will provide for...taking away the right of its supporters... to democratically choose their representatives in free, open and fair intra-party conventions." End quote. He then asks, provokingly, "if they cannot uphold their own party's constitution while in opposition, how can they be expected to uphold the national constitution while in government?"

From there, he goes unto criticize the current direction his party is taking saying, quote, "the momentum created in the by-election has continued in the municipal elections….nothing has been done by the leadership...to change this momentum... if all things remain equal, the momentum developed by the by-election will continue into the next general elections."

He concludes, grimly, "The current PUP leadership seems hell bent on creating the party without a party to go to anytime soon. Treating party supporters like disposable diapers only chases them...away....it does not inspire unity….and divided, we fall." End quote.

Damning words from that former candidate - and while he was soundly defeated in the Cayo North bye-election - he still got more than a thousand votes - which the PUP will need as it tries to re-organize in the San Ignacio and Santa Elena which was the scene for the worst losses, numerically, in the municipal elections.

The PUP continues to try and re-group after that disastrous election result followed by the scandal of the Briceno recording - and to this end, the party is tomorrow having a national executive meeting - where they are expected to discuss post-municipal party re-organization.

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