Said Musa

There is growing inequality. The families of the all-powerful Ministers are getting richer. The poor and hard-working Belizeans are getting poorer.

The Barrow Administration, with its misguided philosophy of big government wanting to own or control every facet of economic activity in Belize, has depressed and squeezed out the private sector. The inevitable result is mass firing of workers, foreclosures, and downsizing.

Chairman Arafat has invited me several times to visit him in Ramallah and to see El Bireh again.

The British troops are not an occupation force. They are here with the consent of the people.

When the people gave them the mandate to govern in 2008, these UDP leaders had one thing in mind: They run things. They forgot all their lofty promises to the people. They set out to crush the PUP and to erase all the accomplishments of the PUP years in government.

The 'Belize Times' will be back. I can't at this juncture say exactly when it will be back in printed form. As you know, it is presently published online. But this historic newspaper will one day, hopefully soon, rise again.

Independence did not mean chauvinism and narrow nationalism.

We in the small developing countries are beginning to understand that our own citizens share a common fate requiring the active role of government to ensure that every citizen has a chance and means to participate productively within the society and to curb society's dangerous encroachment on the physical environment.

For me, it was an amazing experience. I saw where my father came from. I was given a royal welcome in El Bireh - they even slaughtered a sheep in my honor.

Unfortunately, in my home, we didn't speak Arabic; it was a mixed culture. My mother played a dominant role in our educational upbringing, and we grew up as part and parcel of Belize's culture.

Let us work toward greater cooperation with all Caribbean Countries, whether we speak English, Dutch, French or Spanish, whether we are independent or not, and whether we be island or continental territories.

Belize pledges it continued support to the aspirations of the 23 million people of Taiwan to be full participants in all organs and agencies of the international community.