Heated Moments in the House Between Area Reps Causes Speaker to Temporarily Suspend Budget Debate
The budget debate got heated when Henry Charles Usher, Representative for Fort George, rose to speak. At the start of his presentation, Usher criticized the Leader of the Opposition for distancing himself from the Dean Barrow Administration. Usher accused the Leader of the Opposition of benefiting from the alleged misdeeds of the government under the Barrow Administration. He then went on to tell the Leader of the Opposition that he should make an attempt to find former Minister of Works Rene Montero on his next international trip. This caused quite a stir, which caused the Speaker of the House to briefly suspend the meeting. Here is what happened.
Henry Charles Usher
Henry Charles Usher, Area Representative, Fort George
“The Member for Mesopotamia has tried to distance himself from what was happening under the former U.D.P. Administration, his father’s administration. He has consistently said that he was not around when these things were happening. Perhaps there was a time in there when he was having an identity crisis, traveling to the Middle East, adapting a new name, a new look, but other than that brief self journey, he was right there sucking from the spigot of power and turning a blind eye to the pain and suffering caused by the misdeed, corruption and national robbery of the former administration. That is why Mr. Speaker, like the biblical name he has adopted, he will never see the Promised Land.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, the member from Fort George needs to stick to the budget. Trying to eviscerate me with personal attacks is not a part of the debate Mr. Speaker. I have listened to him painfully, giving him much lee way. But he just wants to talk about me. I know he is obsessed with me, because unlike him, I am a self made person never mih the suck pan daddy ‘titty’ like you.”
Henry Charles Usher,
“Mr. Speak he runs in here because he get wap. If it is too hot get out of the kitchen, my brother.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Stop worrying about me. Worry about the people of Fort George and the people of Belize that your government was elected to serve.”
Henry Charles Usher
“Mr. Speaker, if he wants to do something beneficial on his other trips, then he needs to go and find and bring back Rene Montero so that Rene Montero could face the music. If you serious about it, then you need to do it.”
Moses ”Shyne” Barrow
“You need to bring your father to face justice for stealing twenty million dollars.”
John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“He needs to pull that back. I demand that he pulls back what he said, Madam Speaker.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Madam Speaker, the former Prime Minister was arrested and accused in a court of law for stealing twenty million dollars.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“On trumped up charges that your father levied.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“And that is why we need to refrain from personal attacks cause unu the get hot. Unu dah the biggest thieves.”
Abelardo Mai, Area Representative, Orange Walk South
“And you dah wah criminal.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Unu dah the criminals.”
After reviewing the House recording, the Speaker of the House determined that much of what was said was un-parliamentary and requested that both the Leader of the Opposition and Minister Mai retract the statements they made. They both rose and did just that.
