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This morning, we got a chance to speak with Courtenay on the subject, and he said that the Opposition is disappointed that the President won't change the date.

Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"Senator Salas has reached out to us and we have discussions also with other social partners' senators. We the PUP feel that it is a betrayal of the NGO community for the government knowing that the law will come into force on the 20th of January to set a meeting for the 19th, especially as they are proposing to debate an amendment to the NGO act. Let me make it clear, there is no reason why senator Salas should not be seated on the 20th, the meeting on the 19th adjourned for even to the 20th and then he's sworn in then he can participate in the debate. There is nothing urgent on the agenda of the senate and even on the question of the referendum act, which I understand the government is concerned about. The Prime Minister as I understood him in the debate in the national assembly indicated that there will be no referendum in Belize until Guatemala does theirs. So there is not urgency for the referendum act to be amended this week either. It is very regrettable. We are disappointed in the attitude and approach of the government on this issue. The president of the senate has contacted us directly to say that the date will not be moved. It is still not too late for the date to be moved of the senate meeting. As I said it's a real betrayal of all that has been achieved."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir, has he indicated if and when the senator will be properly seated in the house to participate in these meetings?"

Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"All he said was another meeting will be held shortly without giving us a date. Now, I would suspect that obviously sometime in March for example there has to be a senate meeting on the budget, but I don't know whether there's going to be one before that."

Indeed, Senate President Lee Mark Chang responded before the start of news yesterday, and he said, quote, "In reference to your request to postpone the special senate meeting… I have discussed with the clerk of national assembly and the special senate meeting will be held as scheduled. Shortly after there will be another senate meeting where our new senator will be sworn in." End quote.

That's certainly not the response which NGO community wanted to hear and this evening, they fired off a press release expressing their "grave disappointment".

Their statement says, "The NGO community dutifully and in good faith, followed all steps as advised by the Office of the Attorney General...We maintain that this timeline affords due process to be complied with in order to provide for the 13th Senator's participation in the first meeting of the Senate."

This evening via skype, Froyla Tzalam, the spokesperson for the NGO Community, granted us an interview explaining further:

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"How do you all interpret this decision?"

Froyla Tzalam - Protem Chair., NGO Steering Cmte.
"There can only one interpretation and that is that we will not be allowed to participate in this process for whatever reason. In mind we are looking for a better governance. We believe that a show of good faith would have been simply to delay that house setting from the 19th after the 20th and that would have not taken anything from the government. it would have shown that there are clear to the process of the more transparent government and I think it would have really have set the bar high and it would have really set the relationship between the NGO senator and the government in a more balanced and progressive manner that we are here to assist. We are not here to stop government from its job, but we simply want to be a part of that democratic process and so by us not being able to participate until after January 20th, it simply means that nothing much has changed from when the commencement order was signed."

"I think that we really want to ensure or to rather say that we are not here to stop the democratic process. We want to be a part of it and we want to be in on the action. I really hope that this really set the tone for future relationships. We are ready, we have shown our ability to be here and I hope that it doesn't continue because at this rate, it seems that our senator will not be able to participate in any house meeting until March. So, we hope that whatever happens today doesn't set the tone for future relationships between us and government."

In the press release, the NGO community offers the Government a compromise to have the Senate debate the NGO Act without their Senator Elect, but to have all other governance matters dealt with in another Senate meeting.

Their statement says, quote "The NGO community believes that if it is the Government's desire to pass the NGO Amendment Bill as per its official position prior to the seating of the 13th Senator, then in good faith the Special Sitting of the Senate on January 19th can be to do just that - pass the NGO Amendment Bill - and a Senate meeting can then be convened either on January 20th... to consider all other matters...from the House of Representatives meeting held on Friday, January 13, 2017." End quote.

There's been no response from government yet.