7 News Belize

Is Darrell the UDP’s Moses?
posted (February 25, 2020)
Last night, we showed you a part of our interview with President of the Senate, darrell Bradley. The former Belize City Mayor took the weekend to come up with a draft campaign finance legislation. Here's more of our interview with him where he says this kind of reform is the most urgent thing needed in Belizean politics, more urgent than a party leader:

Jules Vasquez
"However you have produced this in a vacuum insofar as you don't know if there is even the will in our own party and from those I've spoken to, just informal conversations; there is not a great appetitive for campaign finance reform."

Hon. Darrell Bradley- President of the Senate
"The time has come for us to really be serious about this and I think it is really a sensible approach to say that we need regulation on certain aspects of reform which really can be put in place in a relatively short period of time."

Jules Vasquez
"If there is the will."

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"Who determines if there is the will?"

Jules Vasquez
"The executive determines is there is the will."

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"That's really a question on our democracy and one of the reasons I put this out, because I reflected a lot about this. I really want to do a test in relation to what is the worth of our country. What is really the worth of our nation? Shall we let the system dictate what we do or shall we let the people dictate what we do. So it's really a question of what is Belize about. Is it that we have a situation where we would say okay then, the persons who are in power will really indicate I do not want to change, because that's essentially what we are having. We are having a situation where we are saying you know what a system is broken, we need increase checks and balances, we need greater transparency and accountability in government and the people in our society are demanding actions from our elected officials and our elected officials would not relent."

"That's really a task in relation to where we are as a society and that's actually a very frightening reality. Are we really at the point where we are saying you know what our leadership, our political system is hopeless, we can't do any better and I refuse to think in myself that as a society of intelligent people we cannot do better."

"A lot of people have texted me, a lot of people have communicated and a lot of people have said you know what we are kinda losing hope and that's a sad realty for our country that people will say you what it's all the same, voting doesn't really matter. I will get the same kind of leadership in any event, it's just one in the same. There is no change that will ever happen and one of the things that I've said also when you look at the statistics, many of our young Belizeans, many of our bright Belizeans or intelligent people, many of them are leaving this country. Our statistics right now of people leaving Belize who have degrees is 67%."

"We have been at this point before. In last year we were at this point several times before. The year before that we were at the very same point. Under the opposition, we were at the very same point. So we are actually like a nightmare that never seems to want to end, because we do not recognize the things that need to be done to bring about change. We will not get good people in politics unless you have a system that really attracts people with ideas in politics."

Jules Vasquez
"Your UDP is in a desperate state, it's not a characterization you may wish to agree with, but it is in a desperate state, because elections are coming soon and it needs to find a successor for the current party leader. So there is a small window of opportunity for reform of the status quo. Going there, as I imagine you have in the past, kowtow to the status quo or will you try and cease the moment and say it's time for change, this is an opportunity, win, lose or draw, let's make it happen and I am the man. You Mr. Bradley are the man."

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"Jules, I think again you missed the point."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, I', saying that yes change is needed and yes, but there needs to be a change agent."

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"Yeah, and the change agent, again what you are actually asking me is a tremendous responsibility and I'm telling you that change cannot come with one person. Clearly, one wants to make change, but one has to see themselves not as the change, but as a vessel of change."

Jules Vasquez
"On Saturday at the NPC, the UDP will chart the way forward. What do you expect to come out of that meeting?"

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"Well, I don't expect anything to come out of the meeting if it is we don't recognize what needs to be done."

Jules Vasquez
"So, hypothetically, let's say the party council has a grand awakening and they say you know what Mr. Bradley yu are right."

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"Do not put your hope in a politician, do not. And I'm not telling anybody that I am any saving grace, because I am a human being just like anybody else and that kind of burden in terms of expectations, I do not want. I am saying that I will be prepared to offer myself a human being, being a leader."

Speaking in broader terms about the demise of decency in politics - Bradley zoomed in on all the recent declarations about John Saldivar. Saldivar and the UDP keep stressing that he did nothing illegal. Bradley says the ethics for those in public life requires more than just legality:

Hon. Darrell Bradley
"One of the things that really I Kind of had to step back about is talk on certain things not being illegal. Where do we lose this discussion about ethics? So that something doesn't have to be illegal for it to be wrong. Where do we get to that place in our society, in our politics, in our public life."

Bradley will be travelling and will not be here for Saturday's UDP National Party Council meeting.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize