Sunday, October 14, 2012
THE BELIZE TIMES
Not a time for excuses
A
ttorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sedi Elrington is lucky to have simply gotten the cold shoulder and a few colourful choice words from the people of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, who have grown sick and tired of hearing endless excuses. Elrington must have known better than to have gone to Cayo with very little to offer to the concerned residents. The Prime Minister opted to have Elrington act as his emissary and face the music. The PM must have known what the outcome would have been like. He sent his emissary empty-handed. Today, four months after the brutal murder of 13 year old Jasmine Lowe and a week after the vicious killing of 20 year old Suzenne Martinez, Cayo residents feel no safer and are convinced that the Government has no plan or idea on how to solve crime. This is the real tragic state of affairs. A Government’s priority is first and foremost the safety and security of its people. The Barrow Administration has failed miserably to provide adequate security to its citizens. This has led to rampant crime, and a terrible spike in very violent crime, especially in urban areas where unemployment and drug trafficking is rife. One didn’t have to witness Government’s lack of a proper response in Cayo to realise that they are clueless about crime fighting. Belize City, where eight UDP Ministers hold constituencies including the Prime Minister and at least four powerful Cabinet Ministers, has been a hotbed for crime. Countless young men, who could have otherwise had a future as productive citizens, have instead filled up the morgue as victims of gang violence. The Prime Minister’s response has been to feed gang members with hands out and increasing their dependency on the Government, which we already know has limited funds. The Prime Minister sat by as one of Belize’s most notorious gangs, George Street, took shape in his constituency. Many of the violent crimes in the old capital involve personalities affiliated with this gang. To demonstrate his loyalty to this gang, George Street became a lead figure in the PM’s gang truce. This favouritism was noted by other gangs, which created a rift even before the PM fabricated the lie that there was a truce. In Belize City, people are still falling for the Barrow Administration’s litany of excuses for failing to create jobs and opportunities. They couldn’t go to Cayo with excuses. Sedi has learnt that lesson the hard way. Incompetence is not an excuse for bad governance, but for the Barrow Administration it is the only explanation. For the 100-plus families who have had to bury their loved ones, the Government’s incompetence has come with a heavy price tag. The Cayo people have shown Belize City and the rest of the country the way. The question Belizeans must answer is whether it will have to hit home for it to matter. We hope such is not the case.
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