Resignation Versus Termination: Prime Minister Discusses the Difference

Dean Barrow

The new Minister of Natural Resources, Vanessa Retreage presented PM Barrow with overwhelming proof that there was, at the very least, a questionable land transaction involving Vega’s son. In many quarters, it seems that the former Minister of Lands merely got away with a slap on the wrist.

Isani Cayetano

“This is in reference to what my colleague from Seven News mentioned earlier referring to the comments that you had made, PM, with the hot bed of corruption et cetera.  In this particular instance, why accept a resignation versus a termination, in the context of other stringent measures that have been taken against former elected officials, in the case of Elvin Penner for instance?”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I said at the start that in consequence of the meeting I had with the minister and the conversation between us, I accepted his resignation.  The minister is gone from the Cabinet and therefore to the extent that the public would have demanded and been entitled to that result, the result has been achieved.  It seems you would no doubt have wanted me to say to the minister, “No, I don’t accept your resignation so I can fire you.”  I mean, you are a journalist of long standing, you are familiar with how things proceed in government and governance all over the civilized world and certainly with respect to democracies.  In circumstances like these a minister is confronted with a situation and the minister comes to me and resigns, the minister is gone, that is what is important sir.  If the minister had not resigned then you could have gone at me to ask when will you fire the minister.  But my goodness, the minister has resigned in consequence of the situation with which we are confronted.  That, I hope and believe, is going to be enough for the Belizean public, people together with the commitment that we will recover the compensation monies that were wrongly paid.”