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Hon. Julius Calls PUP Colleagues “Benchwarmers”
posted (March 2, 2017)
Benchwarmers! That's what PUP Deputy Leader Julius Espat called his party colleagues when he appeared on Plus TV's Rise and Shine two days ago. Espat, who is known for his outspoken-ness, told host Luis Wade that the persons who have been put out there to represent the party are basically "scrubs". Here's how he put it:

Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South
"The PUP are using bench players right now to make the decision for the party. The People's United Party have the greatest warriors that this country has ever produced - they have them on the sidelines and they have bench players right now taking the lead. You cannot have bench players playing for you in the final game of a world cup. It just can't happen. I am one of them and there are many of us that believe that we should be protesting every day until we change this government. It has to be done. We are at a stage right now. The rank and file, the supporters of the People's United Party, they are battle ready, but the leaders somehow I believe are too comfortable. They are too comfortable and they need to stop making decisions around the Mahogany table."

"12 parliamentarians and you know the 12 don't all sit on the national executive of the People's United Party and they are the winners. These are the proven winners where the people put their faith in, but yet you have many of them that don't even have a seat on the national executive to be able to lead the party forward."

And he wasn't done there! In a freewheeling two hour show, Espat also attacked the leadership of his party for being too close to Michael Ashcroft:...

Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South
"My Belizean people every day are poorer because of him and his relationship with both leadership of Belize - both political parties. The red and the blue did not understand our opponent and so you cannot have a fair fight if you don't understand your opponent."

Ashcroft interests are principal shareholders in the Briceno family's phone company, Speednet. And, the Prime Minister's law firm holds shares in Ashcroft Alliance interests.

And, for good measure Espat also lectured the PUP members of the elections and boundaries commission who agreed, or did not object to the UDP timeline for redistricting - which is after municipal elections. Espat says the PUP commissioners were wrong to do so and out of line with the party's wishes:...

Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South
"I'll the honest, the party made an error, because the leaders of the party, we are definitely behind the re-registration, but we have two commissioners in the election and boundaries that voted against it. One voted against re-registration and the other one abstained. So I have a problem right now that I need to sit with the executive of the People's United Party to find out why did that happened. Those 2 people, I don't know what happened. Maybe they weren't given proper instructions or maybe they acted on their own, but in anyway, they acted against the wishes and the will of the leadership of the People's United Party."

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