Email

Print

Switching now to politics, seems everyone has their own opinion of yesterday's grand press conference where 4 former PUP foreign ministers joined PM Barrow in support of going to the ICJ. Some have embraced and applauded the move, while many are skeptical and question the motive behind it, and some just flatly reject it and see it as just an amusing political show. 

But what does PUP Caribbean Shores area representative Kareem Musa think?  His position is no to the ICJ - but now his father is a public proponent of a "yes" vote.  We met him in Belmopan today and he gave his conflicting positions as a son and as a politician.

Hon. Kareem Musa - Area Rep, Caribbean Shores
"We must understand that we are all in the same boat. This is an important occasion where we must all be together and united. We may have different views but at the end of the day let us respect one another, I think that is the sentiment. In relation to my father yesterday, as a son I have to admit that I was very proud to see him on that panel next to the prime minister that carried out a personal witch hunt against him. So I'm very proud and it speaks volumes about his character. The strength of that individual and so I'm very proud as a son that he is my father. Now switching gears as a politician, I don't necessarily agree that we should be going to the ICJ."

Musa also discussed his reasons in support of a NO vote. He says Foreign  Minister Wilfred Elrington is the reason Belize is in this situation with Guatemala in the first place.

Hon. Kareem Musa
"We are not in Disney World, the prime minister is not Walt Disney and so he cannot with the stroke in one press conference erase the 10 years of defecation by the foreign minister on our case and our country's position. I firmly maintain that Sedi Elrington has mishandled this case from the get go in 2008. Secondly, we are dealing with a very disrespectful neighbour in Guatemala, a bully neighbour in Guatemala. How can you in 2008 say that we are doing to go to a court to determine whether or not we have right's to Belize's land and maritime areas. Then in 2015 have the nerve and the gall to take over the Sarstoon in complete disrespect of all laws, in complete contravention of what they themselves signed up for in 2008 to go to the ICJ. You think you can do that in the supreme court in Belize? Go and sue somebody and then while the case is pending go and take that person's land? That is ridiculous, that is ridiculous, what are we doing here? So there's no Sarstoon protocol that has to be in place. The OAS, the ICJ whoever needs to step in, our foreign ministry needs to step up and say to them we will not partake if you all don't respect us in the Sarstoon and finally my criticism of the comprome that was signed in 2008. I do not like the wording of that comprome and in particular, I do not like that it says we are going to a court in order to determine our boundaries. Man we have a 1859 treaty, that already determined our boundaries."