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That was good and all - but Jules Vasquez found it a little too cordial. Here's his report on the event:..

Jules Vasquez Reporting
The event opened with a timely reflection on the only Prime Minister who could not be there, National Hero and the leader who took Belize to Independence in 1981 George Price:

Rt. Hon. George C. Price
"When we started we had a big task against us. We had to make people conscious that they are Belizeans and we had to work with many kinds of people. We had the Maya people, the North Yucatec and the Mopans. We had the Garifunas to bring together, we had the Hindu (Coolie), we had all these nations together and we had to make them feel the nationality that they are Belizeans. That was a lot of preparation that we are our own selves and we gradually became it."

And the man who succeeded Price in 1984 took the stage to explain how he led off with their post-nationalist vision for Belize:

Rt. Hon. Sir Manuel Esquivel
"And I became very concern with a lot of other people that we should not go into Independence as a one party still. We did not really see that that would happen, only the circumstances as the opposition at that time."

"To me that guaranteed that we would never be a one party state and that we would always have democracy in this country. For that reason why I like to credit Mr. Goldson for actually being the father of Belizean democracy. Mr. Price is recognized as the Father of the our Independence but it was Mr. Goldson's struggle that ensure that date would be a democratic independence. Also there was the whole concept of developing the physical and the mental infrastructure of the nation which really needed a lot of work so that in that first term in 1984 I think we occupy our self with those things that is; developing the infrastructure; always with a view to using infrastructural developing for the purpose of economic development."

And while Esquivel pushed infrastructure, Musa said that just holding unto sovereignty is an accomplishment.

While Barrow added that the successive changes of governments is an accomplishment:

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Over these past 30 years to me it is a great accomplishment that we've been able to maintain our sovereignty and territorial integrity despite this unfounded claim from Guatemala. The fact that we've been able overall all these years to maintain our sovereignty over this land we call home Belize - to me it's a great accomplishment and I would attribute part of the success of what to the fact that as political parties, at least the two major political parties we had been able to reach a high level of bipartisanship on that issue. I think that plays a big part in the success of that."

Hon. Dean Barrow
"Since Independence our election cycle has never been marred by any kind of violence. It has resulted in an almost routine change of government except for Said's insisting of having been the odd man out and having won two consecutive terms. I still blame Dean Lindo for that but anyway he should never have allowed you to win that second election, I am talking about in Fort George. But that is an amazing achieving."

And one of the biggest problems as they see it is the widening gap between rich and poor:

Rt. Hon. Sir Manuel Esquivel
"What has happen is the wealthy not only has become more numerous and more distance from the rest of the society in terms of money and opportunity for that matter but they had become super wealthy in Belizean terms. The income spread has become much more noticeable."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"A major part of our problem is, let's face it that we may call growing economic inequality in our country. The rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer and not only that, the middle class are falling through the cracks into poverty too. Now how do we address that? the Prime Minister says that he doesn't want to subscribe to social his views but whatever name you give it there is no doubt the only way to address that....Emory King use to say "not that the rich must have less, but that the poor must have more."

Hon. Dean Barrow
"Government has got to find a way to pay for that social safety net and it ultimately it means that those that are extremely prosperous would have to be ask to pay a little more for that safety net. I don't think we ought to be afraid to bell the cat."

And while the socio-economic gap is one problem, citizens growing into their duties is another

Rt. Hon. Sir Manuel Esquivel "We don't really have a consorted concentration of mind and energy in actually finding a way to solve our problems as a people. nowadays with the numerous talk shows - the first thing people call up - 'there is a flood in my back yard'....'the minister needs….'. Nobody seems to be grasping their own role in the development of themselves and as a country."

And on a lighter note, interestingly, all three Prime Ministers said they didn't want the job:

Rt. Hon. Sir Manuel Esquivel
"As for myself I really never had any aspirations for politics. As to aspiring to be Prime Minister I never had such an aspiration. There were people before me Mr. Lindo and then Dr. Ted Aranda, who were leaders and finally I was chosen. But it was never something that I had aspired to but I am grateful that I was given a chance."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"But the truth, like Sir Manuel I never had ambitions to be an elected politician. I saw my future in the practice of the law."

Hon. Dean Barrow
"I am not sure that people are going to be too comfortable with the notion that each of the Prime Ministers' with the exception of Rt. Hon. George Price is a reluctant Prime Minister - something, either we protest too much or if it is the truth. I don't know that you want your Prime Ministers not to be people who driven from the very start and have a sense of leadership destiny but I am afraid that like the other two I will confess to be becoming leader for the UDP as a consequence of happenstance rather than the expending of any energy on my part."

And the evening also provided a small personal insight into the lives of the prime ministers -one of them in retirement:

Rt. Hon. Sir Manuel Esquivel
"Just being at home, being able to sit and watch television. I never enjoyed movies or long drawn-out programs like tonight's'. But I enjoy watching half an hour programs like especially comedies; they relax the mind wonderfully."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"I always enjoyed reading and I have far more time for doing so now than when I was serving as Prime Minister. That to me is my greatest pleasure quite frankly - well that's a very strong language....my wife wouldn't like me to..... But it certainly reading - I find a tremendous inspiration to me life and I am doing a lot more with that now. I am also walking the dog at least on Sunday sometimes."

Dylan Vernon, host
"Your ways to relax, actually you can speak about the present."

Hon. Dean Barrow
"My wife will tell you that I relax by taking sedatives - sleeping tablets. We all of course concede the obvious that it is a stressful job but I don't think any of us would suggest that this job is ultimately unrewarding."

In the end while there was an almost cloying well-meaning-ness and a sort of saccharine geniality - that the evening went along without any personal attacks or finger pointing is itself a minor accomplishment - whether it will be duplicated remains to be seen.

For those who missed it, or didn't see the whole thing because we started it in progress, the two and a half hour event will repeat on Sunday afternoon right here on channel 7.

Prime Minister Barrow will be back at the Bliss Center tonight handing out the hardware in the Tribute to Belizean Patriots - the National Honours and Awards Ceremony - which will also air live on Channel 7 right after tonight's news.