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Cabinet has signed off on the wording for the compromis and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is moving ahead to a signing. As we told you, the compromis is the document which says what will be decided in the referendum. Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington discussed it today.

Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“Both the government of Belize and the government of Guatemala acting through their Foreign Ministries have agreed both on the wording that is going to be put to the people of Belize as well as the wording that is going to be put before the International Court of Justice if we agree to go there.”

Jules Vasquez,
So your Ministry will go ahead and sign off on this?

Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington,
“Yes Cabinet gave permission for us to do that yes. The contemplation is that it is going to be done simultaneously with the Guatemalans.”

Jules Vasquez,
Is there a date planned for this?

Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington,
“We were hoping that this could be done sometime next month, in the month of November but we have to get agreement with the Guatemalans because both Foreign Ministries will sign it together at the OAS, hopefully some time in November.”

Jules Vasquez,
Have you seen the wording with it?

Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington,
“I am sure you will be able get a copy of it. Fairly innocuous, both the question to be put to the Belizean public as well as the question to be put to the ICJ, a very very simple question. In the case of the question to be put to the Belizean public it will simply be asking the public whether they want to have the matter resolved by the ICJ period and with respect to the one to the International Court, it is a simply a question as to whether we would like to have the ICJ delineate the boundaries, just both our land and sea boundaries. Just very simple formulation, that is the plan. It is not something sophisticated at all, very simple.”

Jules Vasquez,
The Christians always say, what would Jesus do. I would imagine the UDP should say what would Phillip do, what would Phillip Goldson do. Would the wording of this, knowing the arch-patriot that he was, and you knew Phillip Goldson, knowing the arch-patriot that he was, would the wording of the compromis you have seen, would that wording offend him?

Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington,
“No, I am a 100% sure no it would not. This is something that has been formulated by our negotiating team. In my own personal case I don’t see a better option.”

Jules Vasquez,
So you will vote yes?

Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington,
“Yes. I have no illusion about that. Let me tell you how it appears to me, this Guatemalan thing Jules: I can’t see personally us having any other alternative. I can’t see us saying, ‘boy we won’t do nothing because this is for me.’ Because while we say that, the Guatemalans will continue to come across; come across, cut our land, they do farming, they want to put fence, they want to kidnap our soldiers and they want to do all kinds of things.”