Said Musa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Said Musa
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Said Musa in 2007
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| 3rd Prime Minister of Belize | |
| In office 28 August 1998 – 8 February 2008 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Colville Young |
| Deputy | Johnny Briceño Juan Vildo Marin |
| Preceded by | Manuel Esquivel |
| Succeeded by | Dean Barrow |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 8 February 2008 – 30 March 2008 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Colville Young |
| Prime Minister | Dean Barrow |
| Preceded by | Dean Barrow |
| Succeeded by | Johnny Briceño |
| In office 10 November 1996 – 30 August 1998 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Colville Young |
| Prime Minister | Manuel Esquivel |
| Preceded by | George Cadle Price |
| Succeeded by | Dean Barrow |
| Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Fort George | |
| In office 4 September 1989 – 12 November 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Dean Lindo |
| Succeeded by | Henry Usher |
| In office 21 November 1979 – 14 December 1984 |
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| Preceded by | Dean Lindo |
| Succeeded by | Dean Lindo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Said Wilbert Musa
19 March 1944 San Ignacio, British Honduras (now Belize) |
| Political party | People's United Party |
| Spouse | Joan Musa |
| Residences | Belize City, Belize |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Said Wilbert Musa (born 19 March 1944) is a lawyer and politician from Belize. He served as the third Prime Minister of Belize from August 28, 1998, to February 8, 2008.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Said Wilbert Musa was born in 1944 in San Ignacio, which is in the Cayo District of what was then called British Honduras. He was the fourth of eight children. His mother was Aurora Musa, and his father was Hamid Musa, who came from Palestine. Hamid Musa was also involved in politics.
As a boy, Musa went to Saint Andrew's Primary School in San Ignacio. He then attended high school at St Michael's College in Belize City. Later, he went to St John's College Sixth Form. While living in Belize City, Said Musa helped his parents by selling local foods like tamales.
After finishing high school, he studied law at the University of Manchester in England. He earned his law degree in 1966 and became a barrister at Gray's Inn. He returned to Belize the next year. He worked as a crown counsel, which means he represented the government in legal cases. Later, he started his own law practice. Said Musa helped many people who could not afford legal help.
Political Journey
Musa first became known in the late 1960s. He helped start a group called the Ad Hoc Committee for the Truth About Vietnam. This group protested the Vietnam War in British Honduras. In 1969, they protested a movie called The Green Berets because they felt it supported the war.
Joining the People's United Party
Musa joined the People's United Party (PUP) in 1970. The party was led by George Cadle Price. By 1974, Musa became a leader in the party's socialist group. He ran for a seat in the Belize House of Representatives for the first time in 1974. He ran for the Fort George area in Belize City. He lost by a small number of votes to Dean Lindo. After this, Musa was appointed to the Belize Senate until 1979.
Serving in Government
Musa won the next election in 1979, taking the Fort George seat. He defeated Dean Lindo this time. From 1979 to 1984, Musa served as the Attorney General and Minister for Economic Development. He was part of the government led by George Cadle Price. Musa also helped write the Constitution of Belize in 1981.
In the 1984 election, Musa lost his seat to Dean Lindo again. However, he won the Fort George seat back in the 1989 election. He has won this seat in every election since then. From 1989 to 1993, under George Cadle Price, Musa was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education.
As of July 2025, Musa has run in 10 elections in Fort George. He served as his party's main candidate in that area for over 40 years. This is longer than anyone else in Belizean history for a single area. He is also one of the longest-serving members in the Belize House. Musa is the only current representative who served in the Belize House before Belize became fully independent from Great Britain in September 1981.
Leading the People's United Party
Musa became the leader of the PUP in 1996 after George Cadle Price retired. He won the leadership election against Florencio Marin. Musa then led the PUP to big wins in the 1998 and 2003 elections.
During his time as Prime Minister, Belize saw important growth. However, his popularity went down in his last years in office. This was partly because people became concerned about how his government was handling things. He was also accused of changing his political ideas while he was Prime Minister.
Musa also led several groups in the region, like CARICOM and the Central American Integration System (SICA).
Musa led the PUP in the election on February 7, 2008. The PUP lost badly to the UDP, led by Dean Barrow. The PUP won only six out of 31 seats. Musa himself was re-elected in his Fort George area. Dean Barrow became the 4th Prime Minister of Belize on February 8, 2008.
After Being Prime Minister
On the day of the 2008 election, Musa said it would be his last election as PUP leader. After his party lost, he congratulated Dean Barrow. He thought that the opposition's focus on problems and negative news from the media were big reasons for the loss.
On February 13, 2008, Musa announced he was stepping down as party leader. He wanted the PUP to "renew itself." The PUP held a meeting on March 30, 2008, to choose a new leader. Johnny Briceño was elected as the new PUP leader.
Musa was re-elected in his Fort George area in the 2012 and 2015 elections. He remained an important member of the PUP group in the House of Representatives.
Later Years and Retirement
In 2015, there were rumors that Musa might retire from public life. However, Musa said these rumors were not true. He stated that he would "more than likely" run for an eighth and final term in the 2015 election, which he won.
Although he could have run in an 11th election, Musa decided not to run in the 2020 general election. The PUP chose his son, Henry Charles Usher, to run in his place for the Fort George area. Henry Charles Usher won the seat in that election.
Family Life
Musa is married to Joan Musa. They have several sons. His son, Yasser Musa, is an artist, teacher, and poet in Belize. He used to lead Belize's arts council. Another son, Kareem, became a lawyer and has worked on important cases.
In November 2015, Kareem Musa won a seat in the House of Representatives. He defeated Darrell Bradley, who was the mayor of Belize City. This made Kareem the first representative in Belize to serve at the same time as his father.
Musa and his wife Joan also have three other sons: Mark Musa (a doctor), Said Musa Jr, and David Musa.
See also
In Spanish: Said Musa para niños
- Politics of Belize
- Ministry of Finance (Belize)
