Is There Really a Need for Another B.S.C.F.A. General Meeting?

The by-laws of the B.S.C.F.A. allows for directors to call together an emergency session of the general assembly, and it will be done though a date has not been decided. That’s not considered good news for any one of the stakeholders who actually want to see the crop season started immediately because however it works out in the end, it means a further delay to the signing, if there is to be a signing.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

Dean Barrow

“It strikes me though that since there has already been a general meeting which approved the points in issue, there’s no need for another general meeting. There was a fly in the ointment because there was this new development in terms of B.S.I.’s insistence on that language. But if that is removed, that is sorted out, why would there be a need to go back for a second vote on precisely the draft or on precisely the points that would now have been resolved in favour of the farmers in accordance with the position taken by the farmers. As I said I am not sure what is allowed and what is not allowed under their rules. But I do get the sense that there are those who clearly don’t want to see an agreement signed including the N.T.U.C.B. who I have to say is absolutely irresponsible in a way that I find mind-boggling. But I can’t say what is or is not to happen in terms of this move to have on the part of those who are clearly anti-agreement, a second bite of the cherry. I would hope that that doesn’t happen, but I clearly don’t know what the rules say and what the rules don’t say.”

According to Prime Minister Barrow, any party who seeks to derail or delay the start of the crop of the time will come under condemnation from the government of Belize.