Gaspar Vega Absent Again, But is He Making Up with Party?

Gaspar Vega

Former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega once again skipped proceedings in Belmopan this week, marking the fifth consecutive meeting he has been absent from. Under the Standing Orders, more than six absences qualifies him to step down from his position as area representative for Orange Walk North, resulting in a by-election, unless he resigns sooner. Vega’s plans remain a secret for now, but his absence has not gone unnoticed by his House colleagues. Leader of the Opposition John Briceño commented on it at the last House meeting and today Kareem Musa of Caribbean Shores noticed a change in Vega’s identification placard – more specifically, where it was placed. He incorporated it into a spiel during his debate presentation on corralling alleged corrupt Ministers.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Area Rep., Caribbean Shores

“There is nothing bold about punishing the Belizean people for your Ministers’ transgressions – why must the Belizean people pay the price for your administration’s corruption and nepotism? If you really want to impress the Belizean people, Mr. Prime Minister, and you really want to do a bold recovery, you don’t have to look far – and as a matter of fact I see that my friend from Orange Walk North, while he is not ehre today, he has been upgraded from the back bench to the front bench. (Applause) I see that they have placed his placard right here on the front bench, so he has gotten an upgrade. So the Prime Minister just needs to turn a little to his right, and there is where he needs to start to tighten the belt – not the belt of the Belizean people; the belt of his own Ministers.”

Vega, who has already indicated that he will not contest the next general election, is also within a few months of being eligible for a recall petition as suggested by the P.U.P. last year.