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Jules Vasquez
"Elections was called 3 hours ago. Is the PUP prepared for a general elections in 37 days' time?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"We are prepared. We have been getting prepared. We ask why the sudden urgency. Just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister hinted that elections would not be until next year February or March I think he said. So the question is why? Why the sudden urgency and we believe the answer is very clear, there are looming crisis facing the Belizean nation and people. The Petrocaribe monies are drying up. The banking system is in trouble. There are so many serious problems and of course there are other issues facing the government internally that we are aware of that I think will come to the forefront very shortly and all of these things I think have led to this early unexpected call for elections more than a year early than they are due."

Jules Vasquez
"And then what position is the PUP in terms of: 1) its elections machinery and also that most important lubricant for all elections initiatives, money."

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"Yes both of them, we are ready in terms of the machinery, we have been working on that issue and certainly the preparations for the Power to the People Tour across the country, has energized our party, has energized the base of our party. And money yes, as I said earlier. Already today we have had many many calls from supporters, business people who want to contribute and support the work of the People's United Party and the money will be there to fight this election over the next 5 weeks. Over the next 5 weeks we will be travelling across the country. We will be holding public rallies in each district. We will be unveiling our policy papers on health, on economic reform, on governance reform. Of course as always we will be unveiling our manifesto."

Reporter
"Do you have a particular theme for your manifesto that you care to reveal to us today?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"Our theme is "Power to the People." How do we give back power to the people? We believe the last 8 years have been about the power of one man, Dean Barrow, running this country. One man, the power of one man and now it is time for the Belizean people to stand up and rise up and take back power from that one man."

"At the forefront of our agenda will be corruption, incompetence and the failure of this government. Very importantly, the failure of this government to protect and defend the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Belize. That is a failure for which this UDP government must go home. They have failed the Belizean people. Across the country people believe that this government has not fulfilled its first duty and obligation to defend the territorial integrity, to defend the national sovereignty of Belize and I think on November 4th people will come out in record numbers to vote against this failure."

And while Fonseca is expecting record numbers - the real numbers that matter are the number of new and transfer voters that got unto the list at the close of the final registration and transfer period earlier this month.

It's impossible to know with absolute certainty which party got more new voters on their lists - but, we do know that the exercise relies on money - and the PUP were cash strapped. So much so that the shortage of funds for transfers is one of the main reasons for the G-11 rift.

It matters because how a party fares in the registration and transfers often determines how well they will do at the polls. So we asked Fonseca about his party generally, and his division specifically:..

Reporter
"In terms of transfers and so, the PUP has put in its work?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"We have. We have put in our work. We've done it quietly, but we have put in our work. We made it very clear to our people across the country that we understood that this transfer period will be the last transfer period."

Reporter
"In terms of your seat, though ensuring that that is secure, you are been going around the country, are you neglecting your own home?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"No. We always have a tough fight in Freetown and that always the case, but we have no doubt about the fact that we will deliver Freetown again."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir in Freetown 595 new registrants. How many of those are your responsible for? That's the largest in any division in the country percentage-wise. Lake I had more, but it's a larger division. How much of that 595 is yours."

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"Enough to ensure a victory. We were fully on top of the registration process."