Email

Print

After that initial skirmish, the Prime Minister explained why his government was bringing the bill:...

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Now, we already know from what the leader of the opposition said publicly last night, and what happened in committee, that the principal objection to this bill with which they will come revolves around section 3. This section 3, is absolutely central to the bill and makes clear that we are to go to a referendum as we agreed and as is required and as we're obliged to do under the special agreement. I am charging them centrally today with wanting not just to delay the referendum but to deny the referendum. They want to achieve their no vote, not by persuading people at the polls to vote no but by depriving people of the opportunity to go to referendum because that's the surest way to get to a no position. That is what they are trying to do. (applause) There has been a backlash from the people of Belize, there has been a backlash from the people of Belize who ultimately di cry this frustration of their right to vote and the greedy, selfish utterly despicable PUP calculus that caused that. Madam Speaker, we are here today to fix that, this bill is designed to ensure that the people of this country must, the people of this country will have their referendum."