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The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition were the stars, but some hecklers also gathered the limelight. Jules Vasquez was there:...

Khalid Belisle, Mayor Belmopan
"I call on you my countrymen to keep the goodwill of September year round."

Jules Vasquez reporting
But they couldn't even keep the goodwill on Independence Day. This was activist. Ronald Rivers as he got thrown out during John Briceno's speech.

Both Briceno and Barrow seemed amused.

And Barrow hardly looked up when Fitzharris Howard got thrown out during his speech.

Maybe Deputy PM and chair of the September Celebrations Commission Patrick Faber didn't see either because he's watching the future:

Hon. Patrick Faber, Chmn. - Sept. Celebrations Commission
"In the immediate future our still yet very fragile state will see new leadership. The upcoming years therefore will require leadership that will build firmly on the foundations of our democracy and our independence, but will also bring the change that is necessary to see the grown and development of our nation exponentially."

And like the leader he seeks to be, Faber spoke on a broad range of social issues.

Hon. Patrick Faber, Chmn. - Sept. Celebrations Commission
"We must also put our exertion strongly into fighting the destructing roots of crime, violence and corruption that now seem to have invaded all levels of this society. If we are able to do these things resolutely, then we can make our nation stand out as a shining city on a hill."

But, according to the leader of the opposition, Belize is not shining, it's sinking:

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"It is the opinion of many Belizeans that our government institutions are either corrupt or woefully incompetent and there seems to be no good in today's governance. Recent actions taken by the current administration with respect to the independence and integrity of the judiciary as it relates to appointment of judges to the supreme court and the court of appeals has occurred in spite of my opposition and that of the bar association of Belize and the Belize Network of non-governmental organizations. Furthermore, the decision by the government not to allow for the Public Accounts Committee to hold public hearings in direct contrast to the desire for openness and transparency. A key component to good governance."

"Truly when we see this administration overwhelmed with scandals on top of scandals involving high ranking ministers, elected representatives and their cronies, we are compelled to agree that we are witness to a kind of moral bankruptcy. Our situation looks dire. For it typifies a nation on a path towards a fail state or a banana republic."

But according to the PM - the Bank is full, or going to be:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"At the end of last week, however, we announced the suspension of the PetroCaribe fuel and financing arrangement. This had to do with a number of issues which had led to unreliability of supply and forced us to engage in last minute, higher cost, alternative fuel purchases on the spot market. The resulting increases in prices to the consumer at the pump, was what obliged us to move. Had nothing to do with taxes."

"As soon as we did this, though, Venezuela informed that it was sending a high level delegation to Belize, with a direct mandate from President Maduro to fix the problem. That mission came, met with me on Tuesday, and agreed to new arrangements that guarantee reliability of supply and filling by Venezuela of all our fuel orders. Shipments will thus restart next month, PetroCaribe will "roll it" once more."

"Now Independence Day is no time for cesspool political rhetoric, even if delivered piccolo. So I will not engage in any back and forth with those hurling brickbats and lobbing stink bombs."

But with the BDF's three choppers doing an impressive fly-by there had to be some notion of national unity over partisanship

Hon. John Briceno
"For now our work is to be vigilant to reject despair, to build on those things that makes us uniquely Belizean and to always look to the future with confidence for better days are indeed just around the corner."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"As it is on this day, on this venerated hill, so let it be always: that red and white and blue and white in the end merge to become red, blue and white."