Going back now to today's budget debate, after Cordel Hyde, it was unto Wilfred Elrington, and then to Said Musa. Musa used his presentation mostly to absolve himself and his administrations of any superbond wrongdoing, but when Musa got around to bashing the current state of Belize's Foreign affairs minister, well ...let's just say Foreign Minister Elrington didn't take that attack well at all. Here is how their exchange went.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"On Tuesday March 17th on the visit of the OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, the minister pontificated again, that in his mind we do not have any agreed borders with our neighbor Guatemala. HE completely ignores the fact that in 1859 a treaty was signed in which our borders with Guatemala were defined. He completely ignores the historic fact that in the 1930s surveys were done for the western borderline and at which concrete monuments were put down at various points, at Gracias Adios and Garbutt's Falls."
Hon. Patrick Faber
"I rise on a point of order Madam Speaker, he ought to sit down. That's what the standing orders says."
Hon. Laura Longsworth, Speaker of the House
"Okay, so are you yielding please?"
Hon. Patrick Faber
"He does not have a choice to yield, there is a point of order. Madam Speaker, the member is to confine his debate. I would want to know what is he talking about? He is far away from the... your contribution on the debate must be on the matter. He is talking about Guatemala and what the minister said about the border and all of that. Has absolutely nothing to do with the estimates, nothing to do with this bill whatsoever."
Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Madam Speaker, the economic situation on Belize is part of the budget exercise and to discuss the economic situation of our country, we have to discuss the fact that we have a neighbor with an unfounded claim to our country. That is very relevant and this minister ignores the historic fact that in 1931 joint commissioners exchanged notes stating that these monuments form part of the boundary line between British Honduras and the Republic of Guatemala. But he goes further to say we do not have any agreed maritime borders - failing to recognize that the international law of the sea clearly spells out what is the area of our territorial sea and what is the area of our exclusive economic zones."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"Point of order Madam Speaker."
Hon. Laura Longsworth, Speaker of the House
"What is the point of order member?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"Madam Speaker, the Honorable member from Fort George in his characteristics side is seeking to mislead the national house. Let me tell you what is the truth: between the period 2000 and 2005, his administration led by Assad Shoman sought to negotiate the maritime boundaries with the Guatemalans and the negotiations failed because it was pointed out that under international law, the land border is not recognized and therefore you cannot establish a maritime border. He should know that. That's basic law."
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