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Jules Vasquez was there to judge the muscle and mass support of a PUP -trying to resurrect the glory days when it was the greatest show - if not on earth - at least in Belize.

It was a PUP celebration - waves of supporters swarmed the Holy Ghost school compound and crowded under tents - a massive crowd, the largest we've seen in the era of Briceno's leadership gathered under the new slogan, "We Da Blue."

And the crowd - including the party's newly expanded delegate pool which is up from 400 plus to two thousand plus - that covered the Holy Ghost compound was suitably matched by the oversized party executive - where all aspirants were accommodated with a post.

On stage there were heartfelt hugs, executive members playing drums, a welcome for a national hero, and a hero's welcome for the leader who came into a boisterous greeting from the crowd.

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"As a party we must put aside all differences. There is nothing wrong with dissent, we have a lot of dissent in our party but you must know when to rally together and rally behind our new leader John Briceno."

And Briceno finally got what had eluded him since he took over as leader on April of 2008 - a verbal and symbolic endorsement from the two past leaders of his leadership on the party's biggest stage, its highest decision making body, the national convention.

And even if he looked like he was in prime election form, grooving to the beat, or doing the "adelante" thing - Musa said don't call it a comeback!

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"I wanted to send a very clear signal that please don't continue this foolish false propaganda that Said Musa is trying to make a comeback. We have one leader at any given time and that leader is John Briceno. And I am here today to give him my support."

Jules Vasquez
"We shouldn't take the fact that your Fort George Chairman is installed as chairman and that that other members of the old guard have ascended…we shouldn't take that as an indication that John Briceno is now ringed by old guard types who would happily put you in as leader."

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"I can't help if the people of Fort George are very good people who deserve to serve in the highest capacity of the People's United Party."

Jules Vasquez
"But your support for John Briceno is unswerving, unstinting and absolute?"

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"It has always been that way with whoever is the leader of the PUP."

Leader Emeritus George Price, going on 92 years old had to be helped to the podium but needed no help once he got there:

PUP Leader Emeritus George Price "The people are our masters and we serve them, that is why we are here."

And while there was that appearance of old and new guard coming together - the so called unity convention showed a party still riven by division. Four of the six parliamentarians, Mark Espat, Cordel Hyde, Francis Fonseca and Florencio Marin Jr. were absent.

Most embarrassingly, Francis Fonseca was given a seat on the executive and didn't show up to claim it - a situation that quickly descended form an "oops" to abject embarrassment.

The first awkward moment occurred when outgoing chairman, now herself a deputy, Carolyn Trench Sandiford did not list his name in the introduction of executive members. She had already moved on to introducing the leader when the past leader Said Musa came up from behind to remind her, to nudge her to introduce Fonseca - even though he was absent.

Nonetheless, Trench Sandiford continued with the Briceno introduction - and as Musa retreated back to his seat - he flapped his hands in exasperation - just as Trench Sandiford made a lass than graceful segue to backhandedly announce Fonseca: The fourth deputy part leader Francis Fopnseca, he sent his apologies

John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"The honorable Francis Fonseca could not been here because he was sick?"

OK, bad enough, but he went from sending his apologies to being sick: The honoruable Francis Fonseca could not come here because he was sick.

And from sick, to having dengue:

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"He didn't come because he is suffering from Dengue, a terrible dose of the dengue fever."

And then his whole family had dengue:

John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"He is with dengue and really couldn't make it, actually he wanted to come and it was only this morning that he text that he really can't because of how sick he is. I understand his entire family is sick so he is not here simply because he couldn't make it."

As for Florencio Marin Jr. - who was not on stage with all other standard bearers and area representatives, he was either on a special assignment or right there in the crowd:

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"I think in the case of Florencio Jr., he was on a other assignment for the party."

Jules Vasquez
"There is nothing more important than the national convention."

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"Indeed, but he is on board."

Jules Vasquez
"Is he being spoken for?"

Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"Trust me, he is onboard."

Jules Vasquez
"How can you have a unity convention with 4 parliamentarians absent? I am not feeling well but I dragged myself here because it's my job. For them it's a moral duty to be here."

John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"I don't know about what 4 parliamentarians because as I was told Florencio Marin Jr. is here on the grounds. He attended and Corozal Southeast is here. (Jules Vasquez: "He wasn't on stage.") He was here with his people, they came out, and Freetown was here."

And while the leadership clearly did not expect the pair to absent themselves, there was a prepared, uniform response about the other absent two Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde - and some potshots at them as well:

Jules Vasquez
"And Cordel and Mark?"

Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"Well I think in time they too will be on board."

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Both Honorable Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde are two talented individuals, they are members of this party. They have chosen not to participate at this time in the executive, but we in the executive, we in the party continue to reach out to everyone and there is a lot of work for everybody including our 2 parliamentarians."

Mike Espat, Deputy Leader
"They described us as old guards, they describe us as new guards, they even describe us I think as no guards."

Henry Usher, Incoming Chairman
"We are not no pendulum addicts! We work, we serve for a free Belize."

And while the fissures of disunity put a lie to the notion of a unity convention - Briceno did have the crowd to fall back on - it was inarguably massive:

Jules Vasquez
"According to your former leader Mark Espat the PUP was backsliding, having lost ground - he claims - in the recent village council elections. How do you move forward from that?"

John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"Look at the people out here Jules. We have people from all across this country that are ready and willing to stand up against the UDP."

And on this day - the same day that the old guard officially came on board - happened also to be the day when the PUP flexed its greatest muscle - whether it is a sign of a true resurgence is one thing - but whether it will force to the four parliamentarians to get on board is the more compelling question.

The event finished in the early afternoon. The only other significant event is that Henry Charles Usher was installed as Chairman of the PUP - a powerful post for the grand nephew of Leader Emeritus Price and son of past leader Musa.

Crowd numbers - a lot of folks have been asking us about that - and just like the UDP convention we'll tell you straight up - we could not count because the crowd was too dispersed - because the venue could not hold them. Yes it was upwards of five thousand and we counted well over 100 busses - and yes, it was comparable to the UDP's crowd.