And so Parliament spoke mightily today - and depending on your view of such things - it was either a bold assertion of parliamentary supremacy - and by extension, the people's will, or, a flagrant disregard of the law, and a flouting of the highest court in the land.
But, as we said earlier, the vote came after hours of debate - which the Prime Minister opened up just before 11:00 am. He set the stage for the "no" vote, saying each member on the government side was allowed a conscience vote - and a "yes" vote, would not mean ignoring the authority of the CCJ:...
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"This side of the House, like that side of the House, is absolutely free to vote in accordance with the individual consciences of members and in accordance with what they conceived to be their instructions from those who sent them to this place, from those they represent. You can't vote monies for a p[purpose other than will serve the national interest. Will confer a public good. Will be to pay for goods and services for value received. Nobody in Belize, nobody in this great big wide world can show me any value that has been received with respect to this money that the court says is a valid judgement. If the House votes not to approve this supplementary. Again, because the rule of law is absolutely entrenched in our country under our constitution and is inviable. That does not vitiate or cancel or liquidate the debt. That does not take anything away from the judgement of the Caribbean Court of Justice. Their judgement stands. Their judgement remains valid. Their judgement would continue to mean that the sum set out in their judgment - the figure arrived at would be collectible in principle from the government of Belize. Notwithstanding the fact that the transaction that lead to that judgement is repugnant, is immoral, if rotten, is leprous - some future parliament may well decide well we have so much money, let us pay. But for now I would think that while this parliament will want to take full account of the fact that there is a valid judgement the CCJ. This parliament, these members, will look at things in the round. Will take into account some of the factors I have just identified, including that they would be voting if they said yes for monies to liquidate a debt which confers and could never have never have conferred any good on this country - which is not for anything of value had in receipt. I don't know madam speaker."
"If the context of the decision that members have to make. They vote no. That is absolutely and completely within their purview, within their province and in making their determination. I am sure that there will be guided by their sense of duty to the Belizean public and I am here to tell them, they need not be detained by any suggestion that of they do vote no, somehow that is disrespecting the CCJ. It is not. It is brought here by me as the minister of finance."
"I want to make once again absolutely clear. Not because I bring it here as minister of finance, in consonance with my duty so that the CCJ can see that we in fact sought the position of the House. Not because I bring it, anybody to make any mistake and think that I have to vote for it."
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