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Shyne Scolds PUP For Walking Out On SSSC
posted (October 18, 2024)
And while the UDP and its splinter group can't seem to agree on anything - they probably can find common cause on the Senate walkout by Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie and Minister of State for Finance Chris Coye They made statements and left the social partner senators hanging when they walked out of the hearings by the special select committee on Wednesday.

Today, Leader of the Opposition Barrow called it reprehensible:

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"I find the behavior of the Cabinet Secretary and the Senator of the Minister of State, Mr Coye, to be reprehensible and totally inconsistent with the ideal of good governance, transparency and accountability. If you recall, I believe it was under the Barrow Administration where there was a Senate Inquiry and sitting ministers appeared before that Senate Inquiry and they answered the questions rather than walk out so it speaks volumes as to the integrity of this administration, the answerability, the way they look at Belizeans, they way they look at the Senate, the way they look at the stakeholders because this is not an Opposition driven inquiry, this is not any kind of witch hunt. This is something that was born from the civil society, from the social partners trying to get clarity and they would have done best to be transparent, to answer the questions, and to alleviate concern of the Belizean people. But I believe this exacerbate things, compounds the skepticism and suspicion that Belizeans already have for the political process when you just walk out of the Senate and you do not make yourself available to be questioned and scrutinized by members of the Senate."

"I don't want to be unkind to the chairlady, Ms Chanona, and the social partners, and I would suggest that they pay attention to what is being said by Mr Courtenay and they put teeth to what it is they're doing and show that is isn't a charade and that they mean business and use whatever tools are available to them to enforce their mandate and to get what it is they sought out to get which was answers to the many questions about corruption and malfeasance that we all had as Belizeans."

We note that while former UDP Ministers have appeared to testify - the party has also criticized the committee and its terms of reference.

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