How divided is the PUP? And is John Briceno's leadership up for a new wave of assaults by the party's old guard? Those are the questions being asked after a National Party Council meeting on Saturday where sparks flew between the former leader, Said Musa, and current leader, John Briceno.
According to our reports, Musa was asked to address the crowd on the legacy of Leader Emeritus George Price - but he went further than that challenging the current leadership to step up to plate, and stop crying that they're broke. Musa ended his incendiary address with the hanging question: "Quo Vadis PUP," meaning "which way is the PUP going."
It was seen as a frontal challenge to leader John Briceno - who used a small part of his address to respond, and lashed out at the quote "millionaires" who did well during the PUP's last term off office. He challenged them to bring in the money from their "offshore accounts" and help fund the PUP's efforts.
Sounds like fight talk to us! But today when we spoke to Briceno about it, he downplayed the fiery exchange - but conceded the party is going through a rough stretch, in terms of resources:..
Jules Vasquez
"Former Leader Said Musa criticized the leadership for not having enough money to fight the UDP on all fronts and then in an also extraordinary move you called out the millionaires of the PUP - people who did well in the last term and who now have their money offshore. What's up with all that?"
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition - PUP
"The former party leader was given the opportunity to speak about his relationship with Mr. Price. He work with Mr. Price from since the 70s and it was appropriate for him to do so and to talk about the party itself and yes he did mention about the difficulties and everybody knows about the difficulties with the work of the party. Running a party in modern day era is expensive and we have a lot of needs, so in my response I then sought out the people that can help us - the people that have done well under a PUP government and I am not in any way causing any aspersion as if I have done anything illegally, but there have been many friends for the party and I am calling out on them to come in and to help the party, so we are calling out on everybody, be it you be a business person, be it an ordinary citizen as what Sam Waight said, all of us need to come together, come around the table and do our part be it with a barbeque or $5 or $10 but we need to pool our resources together so that for the good of this country we need to turn things around."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you becoming fatigue with the impatience of people who don't understand what you know is the solid reality that in order to run a modern campaign you need a constant infusion of big money and its not sustainable at this time."
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition - PUP
"Well I do believe that the help is going to come and that people are realizing more and more as the days pass by that something has to be done - that we need to be able to get the party moving the way we all want with all the plans that we have, the movement of people. People are hungry, people are anxious, people want to get something done - they want to show the government their frustration and that we could easily amass 10,000 people on the streets. But all of that requires a lot of planning and a lot of resources and so we are appealing to everyone to come in and assist us."
Jules Vasquez
"With Mr. Musa, with Mr. Fonseca as the campaign manager was able to mobilize these mass movements in opposition - people assembly's and all these things. If you can't do it they will say if the last time we were in opposition Mr. Musa did it successfully."
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition - PUP
"As to the issue about the movement in the party I do believe if you look back at what happen in 2008 when the People's United Party lost, everybody was writing off the People's United Party they say that probably in 15 years to maybe 10 years. here we are 3 1/2 going to 4 years people are already saying that ir seems that the PUP have a good chance. So we need to look from where we are coming from and not where we are. We need to go more - yes we do but I believe that it will happen and that we will be able to get the necessary resources and get the party going."
We asked Briceno if he will "get the party going" for the last public consultation on the ninth Amendment, which will be held on Wednesday at the Belmopan Civic Center. That's after the PUP was badly outmatched in San Ignacio when 268 appeared in favour of the amendment and 44 were against.
He indicated that they would encourage people to come out, but did not appear to be committed to mass mobilize them.
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