Activist Moses Sulph was fired from his post as a date entry clerk the General Registry 11 days ago - and since then he has been silent. Sulph says he has spent the time consulting with his union, being strategic rather than emotional.
Sulph - who is the President of COLA, the Citizen Organized for Liberty Through Action was terminated without explanation, but as an open vote worker, none was required.
But now, his union is demanding reinstatement. They held a press conference along with the COLA collective at the Battlefield park today. Sluph said he did nothing wrong:
Moses Sulph, President COLA
"At no time as an employee of the Registry, have I spoken on the behalf of the Registry. What I have done as a duly elected president of the COLA organization, is to fullfill the mandate of that organization. As long as I am in this country, and as long as I am alive, I will have a problem with the fact that there is too much poverty; there's too much unemployment. We are not benefitting other people from our resources. People cannot obtain land. So these are some of the issues that are at the forefront, and if the government of the day, not only this government, don't want activists or organizations to speak out against these issues, then fix them; that's all we are saying. Then we won't have to be challenging you in doing what you were elected to do."
Jacqueline Willoughby, President PSU
"Where Moses is concerned, by virtue of the open-vote regulation, he did not need a reason except we know, given the circumstances that there is a reason for his termination. We've written so far to the Attorney General requesting a meeting to which he has not yet responded. There are officials in Government who've called and apologized for him, but we still need to hear from the AG. The Union intends to take this matter very far, and we are calling for nothing less than his reinstatement. We know for a fact that Moses was sent home because of the issues - because of him speaking out, and the Union is asking for nothing less than his reinstatement."
Yolanda Schakron, President Belizeans for Justice
"Mr. Sulph is a father; He has to feed his children. This is wrong; this is totally wrong. Today Belizeans for Justice will stand up against any injustice that is perpetuated against our Belizean people."
Geovanni Brackett, Vice-President COLA
"We consider it not only to be disrespectful, but an act of victimization. And when you look at how many people who have been victimized over the years, it is time for us to bring it o a halt. It is time for our people to have that freedom to express themselves without fear - without having to fear that they will lose their jobs. But let it be understood clearly that this will come to a halt.
It is time for our nation - for our democracy to be mature that our people can freely express themselves without fear."
Neither COLA nor the PSU would discuss a timeline for re-instatement, only to say that if nothing happens, they will leave their options open as to what steps to take.
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