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Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"They are tired now of using the court to advance their political agenda. Now they will come raw and naked to the Belizean people and show their colors by turning the ICJ situation into a total political fiasco."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But I can accuse the UDP of doing the same in Mesopotamia. You have up red, white and blue flags in the middle."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"But the UDP made it emphatically clear that the UDP will support a YES vote and the UDP will go out there to get a YES vote. It was the People's United Party who was saying that they will not get involved in the situation on a political basis."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Let us be real, it is you who told us first that in the 70s, PUP were playing karate and you all were playing by the queen's berry rules. In this case the UDP start out early saying we are playing karate and the PUP looked like they wanted to go with the queen's berry role. Now the PUP is playing karate and you are vex."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"I am not vex. I am not annoyed at all. They are just showing who they are. They were always playing karate, but they were using a judicial process to hide behind their devious and pernicious political agenda."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"What Mr. Briceno outlines in this letter to his standard bearer is no different than what Mr. Dean Barrow has probably verbally told his UDP standard bearers. So why are you trying to judge them when you all are the same thing?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"No. I am not judging them at all. It was the PUP who were saying that they will not get involved with the ICJ situation under partisan political basis, but they were saying on their radio station - all their radio stations and their morning talk shows - we will not tell anyone whether to vote Yes or No. Or nobody should tell anyone whether they should vote Yes or No. That is when the UDP was pushing for a Yes vote. Now they have come out naked and tell the people must vote No."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Clearly, this national issue, this existential issue has just disintegrated because of the politicians, yourself included, has just disintegrated into one more political. Que viva UDP, yes. Que viva PUP, no. Man look at what you all have done to this national issue."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"If you are leading a political organization and any organization on a ticklish situation like this and you believe that people should vote yes, you must lend your influence as a leader, so that people should follow you."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Do you accept sir that it is lamentable, that this issue which should be free from politics. When I go in there I shouldn't have to be thinking what UDP say or what PUP says."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"But it is a political issue and if I am a leader I should lead my people to the direction I think they are to go."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Political parties, I am saying that yes you can educate people and tell them I think it would be best to vote yes. But now you have made it an article of faith, that if you are a UDP you better vote yes. Man that is....."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"If you are a UDP you don't have to vote yes. But the UDP would like to see a Yes vote. But it is not compulsory."

Jules Vasquez, reporter

"You can be a good UDP and vote no?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"I know good UDPs that will probably vote no."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"And you won't try to change their mind?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP - Mesopotamia
"Of course I will try, but that is their right to vote no if they want."

Of course, with both parties fully engaged, the issue becomes resources, code word for money - and which party will be better able to mobilize their voters on referendum day. Hopefully, though, they will exercise some restraint, and there will be a minimum of red and blue clutter to get in the way of voters on this national issue.