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At the top of the news, we showed you the text messages exchanged between Jacob Kingston and the UDP's John Saldivar. The text messages imply that Saldivar traveled to Miami in February 2014 to pick up $50,000 US dollars in cash, a payment which Kingston says he made to Saldivar on behalf of Lev Dermen. 

Saldivar continues to assert that he is innocent and that he will be able to clear his name of any wrongdoing. In the wake of this scandal. - and before the test messages were received, he has resigned from the Cabinet, and he has also stepped down as the UDP's Party Leader Elect. 

We also showed you last night how the PUP harshly criticized the Prime Minister's initial decision to suspend Saldivar, when he had publicly promised that he would fire any minister directly implicated in the trial.

Well, the PUP hosted a press conference today to make a loud call to the Prime Minister that the public is fed up with allegations of corruption within his government and that he should call the elections now. But, does the PUP have the backing of the general public to force the Barrow Administration into calling an early election? That's what our news team challenged Opposition Leader John Briceno on today during their press conference. Daniel Ortiz reports:

The PUP's standard-bearers and a room full of supporters sat in attention this morning at the Princess Ramada Hotel for the first serious reaction from their leaders since the Lev Dermen/John Saldivar scandal emerged. From the Opposition's perspective, the ruling UDP government has long since lost the trust and confidence of Belizean voters, and this latest allegation is simply the last straw.

Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition
"It was only after Jacob Kingston gave evidence under oath, implicating John Saldivar in bribery, and only after text messages between John Saldivar and Kingston were revealed in court, that the Prime Minister finally acted, not by firing Saldivar, however, but by suspending. As I said yesterday, this is an insult to the Belizean people. John Saldivar was suspended from Cabinet; therefore, Dean Barrow lied when he promised to fire whoever was exposed in this sordid criminal saga."

Henry Charles Usher - Chairman, PUP
"Yesterday, the nation witnessed part 2 of an elaborate hoax orchestrated by a lame-duck prime minister trying desperately to save his bruised ego, and damaged legacy. Sunday's convention was a sham."

Hon. Kareem Musa - PUP Area Rep., Caribbean Shores
"Like a Netflix series, we have been gripped by the chaos, drama, and disaster that Dean Barrow has designed and directed, pretending as usual, that he is just trying to do the right thing."

Henry Charles Usher
"The only solution to purge the corruption that is rotting every single ministry is to call an election. The Mandate of the UDP has expired. Their time is up. Dean Barrow, call the election now."

From the perspective of these PUP leaders, the voting public shouldn't allow the Prime Minister to distance himself any of the allegations of corruption or wrongdoing within his government which has emerged over the last 12 years of his administration. In fact, they attempted to attack his legacy by pointing out while he can claim that he has adequately addressed those past allegations, he, himself, violated the constitution as Minister of finance, when he did not get prior parliamentary approval for over a billion dollars in public spending.

Hon. Kareem Musa
"No other than the highest judge in our land, the Chief Justice of Belize, has found that the 1.5 billion dollars - billion with a 'b', billion like in Barrow - was wrongfully spent. The Chief Justice confirmed in his ruling that Dean Barrow spent 100 million tax dollars in 2012-2013, without approval. Some 8 years later, we still don't know who got this money, how much they got, and whether the monies were misappropriated."

Hon. John Briceno
"The Chief Justice found that the Minister of Finance violated the Finance and Audit Reform Act. That is criminal. In democratic nations, when a minister of finance is found to have violated the law, they would have immediately been fired, or they would do the decent thing and resign."

The PUP wants an audit done of those many hundreds of millions in public expenditure under Barrow's leadership, to ensure that those funds weren't mismanaged and that Belizeans got value for money.

Hon. John Briceno
"The Chief Justice has allowed 6 months for the Constitution to be amended to retroactively approve this unconstitutional expenditure. Let me be clear. The People's United Party is not prepared to support any such amendment. We demand transparency and accountability. The PUP demands the appointment of an independent commission of inquiry, chaired by our international Commonwealth jurists, to inquire into how this unconstitutional spending could have taken place for more than a decade. We also demand that a forensic audit of this illegal spending, with special emphasis on the Petro Caribe spending, be carried out by a reputable international firm of forensic accountants."

Meanwhile, the PUP is making the sales pitch that they have policy changes planned that could adequately address the weaknesses in governance that the Barrow leadership has grappled with if only the voters allow them to take office after the 2020 General Elections.

Hon. John Briceno
"I am ready. We in the PUP are ready to do all possible to break this corrupt cycle so that we can work for the betterment of this nation and all the people. First, we will ensure an independent Public Accounts Committee, one that's strengthened so that substantive ministers cannot be members of the PAC. As well, all house committee meetings, including PAC meetings, will be opened to the public and streamed live. Second, the Integrity Commission must do its job effectively. To do, so, it should no longer be controlled by the party in Government. We need a strong and independent office of the Auditor General. The next PUP government will ensure that the Auditor General's office has unrestricted access to information, and with full powers of investigation, including subpoena powers, to ensure that requests for information and documentation are complied with expeditiously."

So, viewers have noticed, the PUP is campaigning today on a platform of anti-corruption, and they point to instances within the Barrow Administration of things that they would not do if they were in government.

But in 2020, they have switched roles with the ruling UDP, where they are asserting that they can be the pillar of governance, to correct all the UDP wrongs. In 2008, however, it was the UDP in opposition, led by the current Prime Minister that was condemning them for terrible acts of corruption.

Reporter
"Election year 2020 and Election year 2008, it's a flip of the coin. Back then, you guys were the ones being campaigned against for corruption, and the allegations that you all mismanaged finances then. How do you try to convince those voters who still may feel burned by that particular era?"

Hon. John Briceno
"What we were accused of back then, to what is happening now, is far worse. I am not in any way suggesting that it was. But today, it's far worst. And what makes it even, as we say in Kriol, what make it "wussera" is that the Prime Minister was elected on a platform to end corruption in Government. And here we have case after case: Gaspar Vega, to Castro, to Penner, to the Immigration scandal, to the issues in Lands, and where Gaspar Vega's son still owes $400,000, and refuses to give back the people's money. And the list can go on. The scepticism is merited, and I understand. But, that is why today, we are starting to put some steps, of what exactly we're gonna - We're not going to be like Dean Barrow and say, oh we will end the corruption, and I have a machete. I am telling you, these are some steps that we're going to take to put in place in Government so that we can then be able to fight against corruption. "

But, what makes the PUP so different and so able to effectively combat corruption in public office? After all, it's not the first time that Belizean voters have heard eloquent politicians promise to address this problem in a meaningful way.

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Current Prime Minister/Former Opposition Leader
I tell you this. Any United Democratic Party that I lead will never be engaged in corruption. As soon as it rears its ugly head, I personally will cut it off. And I will tell you that I want you all to sharpen a special machete for me on two sides because every time it springs up, right so, I will chop it off. And if it means that the Government has to fall. So be it. Let the consequences be damned. The people of this country deserve better. I am determined to give them better. 

Reporter
Sir, how do you guys restore faith in the profession that is politicians? Because they used to be larger-than-life heroes; now they’re synonymous with possible criminals.


Hon. John Briceno
(Sighs) What this UDP government has done to the whole issue of public service has really caused a huge black cloud over all people that want to serve. And whilst there may be some bad apples like in everything - in your family and everywhere - there are genuine people that want to serve this country, genuine people who are saying you know what? Â Enough is enough. We cannot continue to just plunder this nation. And I believe that we have that team of people that are saying, give us this chance, and measure us on our action.