Editing Said Musa (section)

==Political career==
Musa first came to notoriety in the late 1960s when he co-founded the Ad Hoc Committee for the Truth About Vietnam with [[Assad Shoman]] to protest the [[Vietnam War]] in British Honduras. On 1 January 1969 the group protested a showing of the American film ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'' in Belize City, which it characterized as pro-war propaganda.<ref name="adhoc">{{cite web |author-link=Evan X Hyde |author=Hyde, Evan X |url=http://amandala.com.bz/news/from-the-publisher-255294/ |title=From The Publisher |website=[[Amandala]] |date=24 October 2008 |access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref>

Musa joined the [[People's United Party]] (PUP) under [[George Cadle Price]] in 1970. He soon became a leader of the party's [[Socialism|socialist]] wing in 1974. He ran for the [[House of Representatives (Belize)|Belize House of Representatives]] for the first time in 1974 in the eastern [[Belize City]]-based [[Fort George (Belize House constituency)|Fort George]] constituency, but was narrowly defeated by [[United Democratic Party (Belize)|United Democratic Party]] and Opposition Leader [[Dean Lindo]] by 46 votes. Musa was appointed to the [[Senate (Belize)|Belize Senate]] for the ensuing term, until 1979.<ref name="amandala70s">{{cite web |author=Hyde, Evan X |url=http://amandala.com.bz/news/publisher-133/ |title=From The Publisher |website=[[Amandala]] |date=4 March 2014 |access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref>

Musa was successful in the [[1979 Belizean general election|next general election]], held in 1979, winning the Fort George seat and defeating Lindo by a margin of 71 votes.<ref name=Day>{{cite web |first=Adele |last=Ramos |url=http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6629 |title=Musa and Ralph step down – PUP D-day March 30! |website= Amandala Online |date=15 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208005652/http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6629 |archive-date=8 February 2012 }}</ref> Musa served as Attorney General and Minister for Economic Development in the 1979–1984 Price-led government. Musa also served on the committee that wrote the 1981 [[Constitution of Belize]].

Musa defended Belize's large national debt, mostly incurred in the 1980s, by saying [[Keynesian economics]] was being used: "The economy was in a deep recession, the country was broke (due to hurricanes) therefore it had to get the private sector moving again. The country started a major expansionary program ... to pay for the program we took on a lot of debt."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000026/002675.htm |access-date=26 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708192214/http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000026/002675.htm |archive-date=8 July 2008 |title=Belize promises market-friendly debt restructuring |website=Kitkatta.net |date=7 August 2006 |first= Mica |last=Rosenberg |agency=Reuters}}</ref>

In the [[1984 Belizean general election|1984 election]], Musa was defeated for re-election by Lindo, losing by a margin of 57 votes this time. He regained the Fort George seat in the [[1989 Belizean general election|1989 election]], defeating Lindo again by 449 votes. He has won the Fort George [[Constituencies of Belize|constituency]] in every election since.<ref name=Day/> Under Price, Musa was [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belize)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] and Education from 1989 to 1993.

As of July 2016 Musa has contested 10 consecutive general elections in Fort George and has continuously served as his party's [[Preselection|standard bearer]] in the same constituency for over 40 years, longer than anyone else in Belizean history. (Price was a standard bearer for 49 years, but in three different constituencies). He also trails only Price and [[Philip Goldson]] in total time served in the Belize House. Musa is the only current Area Representative to serve in the Belize House before the country's full independence from [[Great Britain]] in September 1981.

===Leader of the People's United Party and Prime Minister of Belize===

Musa was elected and took over leadership of the PUP upon Price's retirement from party leadership in 1996, defeating Price's longtime lieutenant [[Florencio Marin]] in the leadership election in 1996.<ref name="krembz">{{cite web |url=http://www.krembz.com/rt-hon-george-cadle-price-a-legend/ |title=Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price – a legend |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118214727/http://www.krembz.com/rt-hon-george-cadle-price-a-legend/ |archive-date=18 November 2018 |website=[[Krem Radio]] |date=24 September 2011 |access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> Musa then led the PUP to landslide [[Elections in Belize|election]] victories in [[1998 Belizean general election|1998]] and [[2003 Belizean general election|2003]].

Musa led Belize to significant growth over his near-decade long term in office, but his popularity declined during his last years in office due in part to increasing public perception of corruption among his Cabinet and within his party.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Labelle|first1=Hugette|title=Persistent corruption in low-income countries requires global action|url=https://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/20070925_persistent_corruption_in_low_income_countries_requires_global_acti|website=Transparency International|date=25 September 2007 |access-date=20 June 2016 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140723132524/https://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/20070925_persistent_corruption_in_low_income_countries_requires_global_acti |archive-date=2014-07-23 |quote=Countries with a significant worsening in perceived levels of corruption in 2007 include Austria, Bahrain, Belize...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=People's National Party to contest election in 2008|url=http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/7661|access-date=20 June 2016|work=News 5|date=12 February 2007|quote=Of note is the fact that all three third parties are running on a platform of anti-corruption.|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160817030319/http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/7661 |archive-date=2016-08-17}}</ref> He was also accused of abandoning his previous socialist stances in favour of [[neoliberalism|neoliberal]] policies as prime minister.<ref name="neoliberalism">{{cite web |author=Hyde, Evan X |url=http://amandala.com.bz/news/publisher-31/ |title=From The Publisher |work=[[Amandala]] |date=11 December 2012 |access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref>

Outside of Belize Musa chaired several regional organisations, including [[CARICOM]] and the [[Central American Integration System]] (SICA).

Musa again led the PUP in the [[2008 Belizean legislative election|election]] held on 7 February 2008, but the PUP suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the UDP, led by [[Dean Barrow]] winning only six out of 31 seats.<ref name="Landslide">{{cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/09/america/LA-POL-Belize-Elections.php |title=Belize's opposition party wins landslide in congressional elections |agency=Associated Press |work=International Herald Tribune |date=9 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603063521/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/09/america/LA-POL-Belize-Elections.php |archive-date=3 June 2008 }}</ref> Musa himself was re-elected in the Fort George constituency.<ref name=Day/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6602 |title=CONFIRMED WINNERS |work=Amandala Online |date=8 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522035350/http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6602 |archive-date=22 May 2011 }}</ref> UDP leader [[Dean Barrow]] succeeded Musa and was sworn in as 4th prime minister of Belize by [[Governor-General of Belize]], [[Colville Young]] on 8 February 2008.<ref name="Landslide" />

===Post-leadership===

On the day of the 2008 election, Musa stated it would be his last election as PUP leader.<ref name=Day/><ref name=Post>{{cite web |first=Adele |last=Ramos |url=http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6617 |title=Said Musa's post-mortem of general elections 2008 |work=Amandala Online |date=12 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208005535/http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6617 |archive-date=8 February 2012 }}</ref> After the PUP's defeat, he congratulated Barrow. He considered the opposition's focus on allegations of corruption and negativity from the media to be primary factors in the defeat.<ref name=Post/>

On 13 February 2008, Musa announced that he was stepping down as party leader<ref name=Day/><ref name=Steps>{{cite web |url=http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-6050--27-27--.html |title=Former Belize prime minister steps down as party leader |work=Caribbean Net News |date=14 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423055140/http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-6050--27-27--.html |archive-date=23 April 2008 }}</ref> so that the PUP could "renew itself from the top."<ref name=Steps/> The PUP held a convention on 30 March 2008 to select his successor, and [[Johnny Briceño]] was elected as PUP leader against [[Francis Fonseca]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6783 |title=Johnny stuns Francis in 'Pan! |work=Amandala Online |date=1 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522035527/http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=6783 |archive-date=22 May 2011 }}</ref>

A leadership election was held in October 2011 again where, [[Francis Fonseca]] defeated Briceno. Briceño was replaced by [[Francis Fonseca]] in October 2011. [[2012 Belizean general and local elections|Five months later]] the Fonseca-led PUP suffered a narrow defeat to the UDP, winning 14 of 31 seats in the [[House of Representatives (Belize)|Belize House of Representatives]]. Musa was comfortably re-elected in his Fort George constituency and remains the senior member and shadow [[Senior Minister of Belize|Senior Minister]] of the PUP caucus and in the [[Shadow Cabinet]] which was formed first in 2012 and then again in 2015. The current [[Shadow Cabinet]] of [[Francis Fonseca]] will be dissolved before the [[Next Belizean general election]] which is scheduled for 13 February 2020.

===2015 and beyond===

In 2015 the 71-year-old Musa was the subject of rumours of possible retirement from public life due to health concerns and a perceived negative impact on future PUP electoral prospects nationwide. However, Musa dismissed the rumours and stated his retirement from the Belize House was not imminent. In March 2015 Musa told [[Tropical Vision Limited]] that he would "more than likely" run for an eighth and final term in the [[2015 Belizean general election|2015 election]], which he won.<ref name="retire1">{{cite web |url=http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=32378 |title=Rt. Hon. Musa Won't Retire Anytime Soon |work=[[Tropical Vision Limited]] |date=7 May 2015 |access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref><ref name="retire2">{{cite web |url=http://7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=31825 |title=Rt. Hon Musa & Hon. Finnegan, Ready For The Road, But Not Ready To Retire |work=[[Tropical Vision Limited]] |date=6 March 2015 |access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref>

Although eligible to stand in an 11th consecutive general election, Musa stood down at the [[2020 Belizean general election]]. The PUP nominated his son Henry Charles Usher to stand in his place in Fort George Constituency. He won the seat in the election.