Said Musa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Said Wilbert 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 | 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 Belizean lawyer and politician. He was the third prime minister of Belize from 28 August 1998 to 8 February 2008.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Said Wilbert Musa was born in 1944 in San Ignacio. This town 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. Hamid Musa was a Palestinian immigrant from Al-Bireh. He was also involved in politics.
As a boy, Musa went to Saint Andrew's Primary School. He then attended high school at St Michael's College in Belize City. Later, he went to St John's College Sixth Form. While in Belize City, Said helped his parents by selling local foods like tamales. After school, he studied law at the University of Manchester in England. He earned a law degree in 1966. He then became a barrister at Gray's Inn. He returned to Belize in 1967. He worked as a crown counsel and then started his own law practice. Said Musa helped many people who could not afford legal help.
Political Career
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. They said it was pro-war propaganda.
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 the Belize House of Representatives 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.
Musa won the next election in 1979. He won the Fort George seat, beating Lindo. From 1979 to 1984, Musa served as Attorney General. He was also the Minister for Economic Development. This was under the government led by George Cadle Price. Musa also helped write the 1981 Constitution of Belize.
Musa explained why Belize had a large national debt in the 1980s. He said the country was in a deep economic downturn. It also faced damage from hurricanes. So, the government started big projects to help the economy grow again. To pay for these projects, the country borrowed a lot of money.
In the 1984 election, Musa lost his seat to Lindo again. But he won the Fort George seat back in the 1989 election. He beat Lindo by a larger number of votes this time. From 1989 to 1993, Musa was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education.
As of 2016, Musa had run in 10 elections for Fort George. He has represented this area for over 40 years. This is longer than anyone else in Belizean history for one area. He has also served a long time in the Belize House. Musa is the only current representative who served before Belize became fully independent in 1981.
Leader of the People's United Party and Prime Minister
Musa became the leader of the PUP in 1996. This happened after George Cadle Price retired. Musa won the leadership election against Florencio Marin. Musa then led the PUP to big wins in the 1998 and 2003 elections.
Musa helped Belize's economy grow during his time as prime minister. However, his popularity went down later on. This was partly because people thought there was corruption in his government.
Musa also led several groups in the region. These included CARICOM and the Central American Integration System (SICA).
Musa led the PUP in the election on 7 February 2008. But the PUP lost badly to the UDP party. The UDP was led by Dean Barrow. Musa himself was re-elected in Fort George. Dean Barrow became the 4th prime minister of Belize on 8 February 2008.
After Being Prime Minister
On the day of the 2008 election, Musa said it would be his last as PUP leader. After his party lost, he congratulated Dean Barrow. He thought that talk about corruption and negative media stories caused their defeat.
On 13 February 2008, Musa announced he was stepping down as party leader. He said the PUP needed to "renew itself." The PUP held a meeting on 30 March 2008 to choose a new leader. Johnny Briceño was chosen as the new PUP leader.
Another leadership election happened in October 2011. Francis Fonseca became the new leader. Five months later, the PUP lost another election. Musa was re-elected in Fort George. He remained a senior member of the PUP in the House of Representatives.
2015 and Beyond
In 2015, there were rumors that Musa might retire. He was 71 years old. But Musa said these rumors were not true. He said he would not retire from the Belize House soon. In March 2015, Musa said he would "more than likely" run for an eighth and final term. He won this election in 2015.
Musa could have run in an 11th election. However, he decided not to run in the 2020 Belizean general election. The PUP chose his son, Henry Charles Usher, to run in his place. Henry won the Fort George seat in that election.
Family
Musa is married to Joan Musa. They have several children. His son, Yasser Musa, is an artist, teacher, and poet in Belize. He used to lead Belize's arts council. Another son, Kareem, is a lawyer.
In 2015, Kareem Musa won a House seat in the Caribbean Shores area. This was a surprise win. He became 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. He also has seven other children.
See also
In Spanish: Said Musa para niños
- Politics of Belize
- Ministry of Finance (Belize)
