Political frustration marks house meeting
Our style of democracy, modelled after the British, has many positive features and by and large continues to serve us well. But at its most basic the Westminister system is essentially a dictatorship of the ruling party. And while that enables Government to act quickly and decisively, it also means that when Government governs badly, there is precious little that the Opposition can do about it. Today that political frustration was vented both inside and outside the National Assembly. News 5’s Patrick Jones reports from Belmopan.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
A handful of testy UDP supporters lay waited the Prime Minister and his representatives as they arrived for this morning?s meeting.
Inside the assembly chambers for a moment it seemed that civil disobedience, with the apparent approval of the Opposition, would overtake the proceedings of the House. But even though tempers were on overdrive, nine pieces of legislation moved one step closer to becoming law. While eight went through without much debate, the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2004 took some pointed criticisms from Opposition Leader Dean Barrow. Barrow says while he has no fundamental problem with the treaty, the proposed incorporation into domestic law leaves a lot of grey areas.
Dean Barrow, Leader of Opposition
?The overall effect of this is that since our courts are under the constitution entitled to make confiscation orders and freeze orders property in this country can be frozen on the request of the Untied States of America under the treaty, not withstanding that the reasons for the forfeiture, with respect to proof of offence, which would trigger forfeiture are not such as would be admissible in evidence in proceedings in our jurisdiction.?
Citing similar legislation elsewhere in the region, Barrow says to avoid confusion everything should be spelt out in black and white.
Dean Barrow
?The treaty does not say Madam Speaker–the treaty does not say that you have to apply to court for a search warrant. Don?t ask me to imply from other generalized provisions that talk about the power of the courts to issue search warrants that you are required thereby to apply to court for the issue of a search warrant. Make that specific. Or if you want to tell me that it is there, I am a lawyer, I don?t see that it is there. What about ordinary people who are not even lawyers? Is there a problem with spelling it out? Is there a problem with doing as the Jamaicans have done, putting it in your legislation, for the avoidance of any possible doubt, madam speaker.?
Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith who introduced the bill for its second reading, said he is satisfied that the Bill sufficiently safeguards Belizeans from breach of their human rights.
Godfrey Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs
?This isn?t talking about a trial as to whether somebody is guilty or not. We?re just talking about collaboration; cooperation, assisting each other with exchange of information. that?s all. So the Leader of the Opposition is blowing the thing completely out of proportion. It is not conclusive evidence that property must be forfeited or somebody must be ceased. Because when you look at–he went to great lengths to talk about article fourteen search and seizure and assistance in forfeiture proceedings–when you look at those provisions they state very carefully that after you get over the hurdle in court of proving that a criminal matter is involved, you then have to get over the hurdle of satisfying authorities here in Belize that there is sufficient basis–the central authority, the police, the ports, no action can be taken without the court issuing a court order.?
The meeting also heard reports from three ministers on the issues of telecommunications, the Guatemalan claim and what sounded like a eulogy to the soon to be buried DFC from Minister of Works Jose Coye.
Jose Coye, Minister of State, Finance
?The DFC has played a major role in the development of belie and in the provision of a better quality of life for all. But this has not been achieved without sacrifice, and without us having to pay a price. The institution has been beset by series of problems that has led it to a state of near insolvency. The review clearly reveals evidence of weakness in corporate governance and management, underscored by deviation from sound prudential rules. To say the least, mistakes were made under the past board of management. Perhaps there were some over reaching in our asking it to perform beyond its original functions and intentions. The institution may have grown too fast, expanded too quickly and in so doing over reached its capabilities.?
Three new bills were also introduced at today?s sitting. One would give effect to proposals by the Elections and Boundaries Commission to redraw electoral boundaries and introduce two new constituencies, another, which proposes to better regulate public finances and a third to improve the regulation of technical and vocational education. Patrick Jones, for News 5
At the end of the session Opposition leader Dean Barrow lambasted the Government for its handling of the sale of BTL. Previously Opposition members had also delivered scathing denunciations of the Government’s bankrupting of the DFC and handling of a scandal in the Ministry of Education in which hundreds of thousands of dollars in vouchers were given to so called students who never enrolled in school or were illegally cashed by third parties.