7 News Belize

Musa Calls Re-Reg Postponement “Government By Decree”
posted (August 21, 2017)
That bill was passed in a single day - the only legislation passed on Friday. But, the PUP's senior member Said Musa was concerned about what was not brought to the house. He's upset with the government for delaying the re-registration exercise to next year in the manner that it did - through an instrument signed by the Governor General. Musa called it Government by decree:...

Rt. Hon. Said Musa, PUP - Fort George
"From suggesting and indeed submitting to this honorable house that that thing has to be done over and properly brought to this honorable house if you really want to postpone the holding of the re-registration to 2018. We cannot in a post independent Belize believe we can get away with things like this. It is legislation by decree. You expect that to come from a dictatorship, not from a parliamentary democracy, especially on a fundamental issue like this where we are depriving the Belizean people of having a clean-up non-corrupted voters list which is fundamental to our a free and fair election in this country and that is why I am saying that this is a matter of public concern and I urge the Prime Minister and the government to take a real look at this matter. Why are they afraid to bring it to the house for debate so we can ventilate the matter and decide?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"You wait until now when you well know that if we were ever to try to start the re-registration at this juncture, we don't have the money, but let's assume since you all seems to think that money falls out of the sky - let's assume some were to fall tomorrow, and we started the re-registration, you are the same ones that must know there is absolutely no practical way we can do that and have anything like a sensible list for the municipal elections in March. But since you have your reservations about the validity of that, then you go to court and get a mandamus obliging us to do the registration and you see where that will get your party in terms of the elections for next year. You all want 10, 15 and 20 people go to vote at municipal elections. Come on. Be real and stop playing games."




Briceno calls For Government to Break Sugar Standoff

And also speaking on the adjournment, Opposition Leader John Briceno spoke about the impasse in the Sugar industry. Where ASR/BSI and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association cannot agree on the way forward. Briceno said he had just met with the BSCFA the night before and here's what they told him:...

Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the opposition
"Last night I met with the association along with the honorable member from Orange Walk South and during our discussions they made it abundantly clear. They have no intentions of disrupting the 2017/2018 sugarcane season. They want to continue to negotiate with BSI so that they can have an agreement that is going to be fair to both sides; both to BSI and to them as the cane farmers. But then here lies the problem. We have had both sides, both BSI and BSCFA going to the media, both representing their side of the story and it seems that 2 of them are trying to play chicken to see who is going to blink first. But this industry is so important for us that we really need to find a way how we can resolve this impasse and what is important to me that they are still seem to be goodwill on both sides - both on the Belize Sugarcane Farmers Association and with BSI/ASR. They both want a vibrant and strong sugar industry, but now what we need is a responsible government, a government that is willing to roll up their sleeves and prepare to work with both BSI and the cane farmers to come up with an agreement that is fair to both sides."

"Today I'm here as a canero, I'm here as a norteno, I'm here as a Belizean and that is why I am asking the Prime Minister as the leader of the government and leader of this country to let's see how we could resolve this as soon as possible, the ACP."





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