REPORT #43 Feb 1999
REVIEW OF PUP PARTY IN SECOND QUARTER AFTER ELECTION!


Produced by the Belize Development Trust
Mixed review. Good points and bad points? The PUP political party continue to consolidate power and centralized authority. The promised Local Government ACT turns out to be a weak version of colonial centralized authority. With Belmopan being the rulers. Many PUP voters are disappointed. The Referendum ACT promised and just passed, failed to give petition capability to voters and also retains centralized political party power.

A Political Reform Committee is assigned a one year wide ranging study, but disappointed voters now assume from failure with the Local Government Act and the Referendum Act, that this promise is also a farce and an excercise in futility, to keep the PUP in office for five more years with no substantial changes in restructuring. It is believed to be a device to quiet the vocal political reformers. Most reform items suitable for referendum choices are now on the table. The options are many, but known. The choices for the public voters are straight forward for Referendums.

Participatory democracy is as far away as ever under the early days of PUP rule. The party bigwigs even push for stronger "representative power" in speeches, not the desired "participatory democracy machinery" wanted for economic development. Debt economics has not changed and the nation continues to be captive slaves to a rising foreign debt load. This has been the unimaginative solution since independence, by major political parties using centralized power.

REFERENDUM CHOICE IDEAS

  • Independently elected Prime Minister?
  • Keep the political party leader as defacto Prime Minister?
  • Prime Minister elected annually by Collegiate body of cabinet ministers in rotation?
  • Independently elected Cabinet Ministers ( like Florida ).
  • Keep the political party appointed Cabinet Minister system?
  • District Governments?
  • No District Governments?
  • Two year terms for elected representatives?
  • Three year terms for elected representatives?
  • Continue five year terms for elected representatives?
  • Collegiate style Managing Cabinet like Switzerland and Cooperatives?
  • Independently elected Cabinet Ministers forming a joint Collegiate body?
  • Keep the appointed, Minister Discretion style party member Cabinet members?
  • Give petition capability to the Referendum ACT for Districts, national and local communities?
  • Deny citizens the right to petition for a Referendum?
  • Staggered terms of elections for elected representatives.?
  • One half every year for two year term?
  • Or one one third every year for three year term?
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