Belize's first Lady Ombudsman is no more. Cynthia Pitts today confirmed to us that her three year contract expired on December 31st. and it will not be renewed.
Pitts told us that she is only at the office winding up some outstanding matters and compiling her 2011 report.
And while Pitts is all but out the door, the real problem is that there's no Ombudsman in office.
The Prime Minister has told KREM News that there's no one lined up to fill the post, and that the National Assembly will advertise the post so that there can be a transparent selection process.
So how did it come to this? Well, Pitts told us that under the terms of her contract she had failed to give the required three month notice that she wanted her contract renewed. She gave such notice on December 29th., to days before it expired. But it seems Government had already decided to move on.
Still, the post has not been advertised - and apart from Clerical staff and a legal officer, there's no Ombudsman currently in office to hear and mediate the public's complaints.
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