So, the big meeting between the PUP's Southern Caucus and the Party Leader didn't happen today after all. Seems the word of the meeting got out - and the party leader didn't want to deal with an internal matter as a media circus, so he called it off.
Our information suggests that the Southern Caucus forging ahead with a strident anti-ICJ position has rankled some in the PUP executive who would support a "yes" vote, and would prefer a more conservative public profile for the party. Also, the party leader - who has indicated he supports that yes vote - cannot hold a minority position.
So, there's definitely inter-party tension over this issue, but on Wednesday, the Toledo West Representative said no way to that:
Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West
"I don't want the media to go and get the wrong impression here that there is a wedge between us and our party leader. I think we have agreed that we are allowed to take our individual positions. In fact the party has already established a committee of opponents of yes and no. And then we are going to go around this country educating our people because the Belizean people deserve no less. They need to hear all sides to the story."
In making his anti-ICJ pitch, Requena pointed to recent trouble spots for the ICJ. First, Bolivia has rejected the Court's judgement in a 139 year old dispute with Chile over access to the sea. The ICJ ruled that landlocked Bolivia cannot force Chile to negotiate over granting it "sovereign access" to the sea.
And then, the US National security Advisor - angered over a loss to Iran - slammed the ICJ as "politicized and ineffective" and announced that the United States would review all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the ICJ.
Requena says this has caused him pause:..
Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West
"I think it's important that we look at some of the issues happening on the world stage. We have the situation right now between Chile and Bolivia, where we know how the court ruled and basically what Bolivia had said that they are not going to give that up. I think that is very important that we look at that within the context of this entire discussion that we are having right now upon whether we agree to go to the International Court of Justice. I think also very important is the proclamation being made by none other than the mighty United States, who have also said that they are also withdrawing from the International Court of Justice and that they are not going to adhere to any ruling from the International Court of Justice. I think that these things are very important. All Belizean people need to look at this, because at the end of the day let us say for argument's sake that if Belizeans decide that this matter goes to the ICJ and that the ICJ was to rule in favor of Belize, what guarantee we have that Guatemala is going to adhere?"
Requena spoke to us after the meeting of Belize Peace Movement where the PUP politicians fielded a variety of perspectives and some wild ideas about hwo to protect Belize territory from Guatemalan encroachments. The Cayo South Representative - whose area includes the Chiquibul spoke about one that he seemed to like - but that would be anathema to conservationists:...
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South
"At the meeting today there was some interesting ideas how to protect the Chiquibul. They said it was 100 plus miles of border with Guatemala the Chiquibul has and maybe we have a lot of people in this country that needs land. Maybe we should occupy the borderline so that the residents of this country defend it. You know how people do when land is theirs and they owned it - they will defend it and it would show the other side that we are serious. We are not saying occupying the reserve. We are saying the reserve is being de-reserve illegally anyway and if you look at the statistics you can speak to the rangers. Every single day we are losing the pristine forest of the Chiquibul because we have absolutely no interest from government to be able to do better."
Sensing that the "no to the ICJ" sentiment is gaining traction we're told the Government is trying to shift the discourse. Reports say that Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington will be taken off the frontline of the public education campaign and could be replaced with historian, and former PUP Foreign Minister, Assad Shoman.
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