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After 27 Years, Melvin Hulse Calls It Quits
posted (August 26, 2015)

Former UDP Minister, and most recently the UDP standard bearer for Stann Creek West, Melvin Hulse says he's resigning form the UDP. Hulse, who is a three time representative – and a veteran UDP politician for 27 years appeared on the LOVE FM Morning Show today to say that he's calling it quits with the UDP – because they keep frustrating him in his attempts to help his people in Stann Creek West:..

Melvin Hulse - Resigned From The UDP

"I never expect the day mi wa come when I had to say, as of now, as of today, I am officially no member of the UDP party; I resign from the party. And I want to be an independent free thinker who; if he sees any injustice or anything. Because when you belong with a party, you are to a degree obligated not to be attacking your organization. Man if I work for BTL, I can't be criticising them. I work for Love FM, I can't criticize them. We can do it out there and then they tape and we get in trouble. I have decided that we reach a point that; no reason to quarrel with you anymore, we're on a different page. My loyalty is that we have an obligation to help grass root people and they should not. How much, every day we the hear about we the put system, put system. People can't get their purchase price, can't get their title. I have people who have paid for their title years ago; can't get lease, can't get that, can't get education help, can't get electricity, can't get pipe for water expansion. That da no weh this country is about you know."

Of course the background to this is important. In July, the PUP released a secret recording where Hulse was heard badmouthing his UDP colleagues including the Prime Minister. After that he apologized for misspeaking and stepped down as Standard Bearer. A convention was held earlier this month to replace HULSE, where his candidate, former Chairman Nathan Young had a strong showing, but lost to Walter Garbutt. So now, Hulse says he is in the bad books, a UDP persona non grata – and expressed deep frustration with his former party:..

Melvin Hulse - Resigned From The UDP

"It's never one thing that starts to frustrate you, okay. Not frustrate you, start to make you understand that gradually, even when you are breaking up with your wife and what's not or any breaking up of partnership in business; the divergence start with little things. Eventually one day you wake up and you realize you're not on the same page. This is what has happened, steady erosion, erosion. You have a big fight man, Stann Creek with how many people? It's a constant struggle to get land issues straighten up for them, leases; and you hear all of these excuses. Then people give you the word that yes boy, we will get things done, we will do that and do that; they don't keep their word. Then it start to show that boy, if you are not a key person in party then you stop being a Belizean and you can't get any of the benefits from the ministry; and you can't push for things and what's not. We got not Christmas cheers, we got no Mother's Day cheers in Stann Creek West. Because guess what man, we no happy with Hulse so; 30,000 people, grass root people, 23 villages, well tough luck. I have a problem with that, I have an opinion. And if we disagree you are then ostracized; now you seize to be a Belizean. You go to the ministry; because I am not active in politics that means if I follow up and ask to try help grass roots people to try get educational help; get their lease and their land papers and their title. Electricity expansion has been promised for umpteen years. Oh no, no, no, you no inna play."

As you heard, the management of the Lands Department kept coming up, and Hulse said the straw that broke the Camel's Back was the mishandling of a subdivision in Placencia. He says he will now act as a free thinking, free speaking watchdog – and he won't be afraid to speak out against his former party.

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