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The Public Purpose for Re-Taking Telemedia Defined
posted (July 5, 2011)
Since last week Prime Minister Dean Barrow has been somewhat coy about stating what public purpose government is acquiring Telemedia for on this second time around.

But it was signed into law yesterday evening - not today as we had expected - and printed in a Gazette Extraordinary last night.

Statutory Instrument number 70 bears the signature of acting Minister of Public Utilities Melvin Hulse with the approval of the Minister of Finance Dean Barrow.

So what is this much-guarded public purpose?

The SI states that it is, and we quote: "a.) to restore the control of the telecommunications industry to Belizeans; b.) to provide greater opportunity for investment to socially oriented local institutions and the Belizeans society at large; and c.) to advance the process of economic independence of Belize with a view to bringing about social justice and equality for the benefit of all Belizeans."

Very general, but we are told the generality is deliberate. The original we note was far more specific, referring to reliable telecommunication services.

But these public purposes with their talk about "social justice and equality", and "investment opportunities for social oriented institutions" is something else altogether.

No doubt the language is so designed to be least vulnerable to legal attack by the Ashcroft Alliance, but attack they surely will.

In fact, Alliance attorney Godfrey Smith filed yesterday for an emergency hearing before Acting Chief Justice Awich trying to get an order to stop the minister form signing the bill. The hearing was scheduled for 2:30 today - but the SI was signed yesterday evening, making the hearing inconsequential. But, undeterred, the Dean Boyce led employee's trust put out a release today saying it will, quote, "continue to fight for ownership of the telecommunications company, in spite of PM Barrow's latest move."

And while the battle lies ahead - for now - with the legislation effective yesterday - the Ashcroft Alliance seems to have given up on its latest campaign for control as we note that today's release was not sent on Telemedia letterhead - and in it there is no reference to Boyce as Chairman.

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