Warriors Don’t Cry, They Try!
Michael Peyrefitte
Leading the government’s response was senator and Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte. His Ministry is responsible for managing the country’s legal and judicial services and is the focal point for such things as the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission and other projects. Often, as in the case of new quarters, the money is not in the budget. But the top legal eagle says he ascribes to the wisdom of Jamaican singer Beres Hammond: “warriors don’t cry; they try.”
Michael Peyrefitte, U.D.P. Senator
“You know, I don’t why that song is stuck in my mind, Mr. President. I don’t know if Senator Lizarraga is a music listener. But all day I listened to that song “Warriors Don’t Cry” from Beres Hammond. We don’t cry. There are many things we do that we don’t have the money for, but we don’t cry and complain; we try and find the money. We try and source from our bilateral partners – Senator Salas just spoke earlier about UNCAC and some CARSI funds that we have sourced from the U.S., we plan to source some more. We have friends in the international community, and wherever our budgets are short, we have to make sure that we do our best to bridge that budget. If they really care, Mr. President, all the millions that are made in the meat business, take some of that and donate it to the Attorney General’s Ministry – we would gladly accept that donation. Am I going to bash the Government for not providing the resources that I want to put a building? Am I going to come here and say – ‘see what happened in Ghost Town last weekend? That is why we can’t finance the Attorney General’ – those silly connections that people make with a budget. The monies are not available to do everything that we need to do – it is up to the Minister to take initiative and try to ensure that we get what the Ministries need. Nothing in the law prevented me from writing to RECONDEV in Belmopan and say we need a piece of land, so that’s what I did. I wrote to RECONDEV and I begged them for a two-acre piece of land anywhere in Belmopan to put a proper building with proper parking. It’s not provided for in the Budget; but that’s why they appointed you to be a leader in Government; to take initiative.”
The Debate is winding up at this hour and we’ll have the wrap-up in Wednesday’s newscast.
