7 News Belize

Saldivar Still Wants To Lead
posted (June 1, 2020)
And if all this forward looking talk makes it sound like John Saldivar is a man who wants to lead his party, and the country, you've got it right. Despite the massive hit to his credibility and political viability earlier this year, Saldivar says he's still very much in the race:

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Is it a pitch for the leadership of your party or the prime ministerial post?"

Hon. John Saldivar, Belmopan Area Rep.
"It fits well within my ambitions of course come back again as leader of my party and then hopefully as leader of the country. We need a leader that is able to talk with the private sector to have meaningful dialogue, a leader that the private sector can trust. We have one already in Dean Barrow, but he is leaving. We've got to have a leader that understands business, understands how the economy works, understands how to create jobs. Those are some of the qualities that are needed at this time and it's just coincidental, but those are some of the qualities that I have."

Reporter
"Mr. Dermen was found guilty of tax fraud if you allow me to - in that context will you still be seeking to run for the leadership of the United Democratic Party?"

Hon. John Saldivar, Belmopan Area Rep.
"The answer is simply yes I will. There are 2 things that we all know and that I have admitted to: 1) knowing Lev Dermen and 2) receiving campaign financing from Mr. Dermen. The rest of it when you talk about bribery and corruption I think the country was led to believe that a testimony was going to come out that was going to implicate me in bribery and corruption. That testimony never came. Mr. Dermen's woes with the laws in the US are his, they are not mine."

Reporter
"What has the conversation been like if any, with your cabinet colleagues in terms of your future bif for leadership for United Democratic Party?"

Hon. John Saldivar, Belmopan Area Rep.
"I wouldn't still be in the hunt for the top job now if I didn't feel that I had a solid chance of regaining that post. I stepped down at the time I did because I know that would be your follow up question, because I was asked to do so for things to cool off, for the pressure to come off my government and for me to finally clear my name. I think I have said enough to people with respect to what happened from my standpoint and I believe that all has been revealed from that court case now and if there was anything in there that would point to me being a criminal, me being involved in bribery or corruption, Jules Vasquez would have pointed that out already."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I am saying though that Mr. Saldivar, you lied."

Hon. John Saldivar, Belmopan Area Rep.
"In terms of the cabinet meeting and what took place in that cabinet meeting, because of my responsibilities not want to discuss that whatever was said or not said I won't get into the details of that, but I will tell you this, the same man that walked into that cabinet meeting is the same man that walked out of that cabinet meeting and I maintain my honestly and my integrity."

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