AG’s Ministry to Prepare Draft Legislation for Redistricting Exercise

The Attorney General’s Ministry will also prepare draft legislation in accordance with Section Ninety of the Belize Constitution to amend the First Schedule of the Representation of the People’s Act to reflect the recommendations of the Elections and Boundaries Commission.  Those proposals will be presented to the National Assembly before July thirty-first, 2023.  Lastly, both parties agree that during this process, the defendants shall consult the guidelines set out in the expert report of Sean Trende which is dated October fourteenth, 2020.  Trende is an American journalist and political analyst, specializing in elections analysis.

Michelle Trapp

Michelle Trapp, Attorney, Belize Peace Movement

“The gravity of this case, the gravity of this consent order is that Belize is on a path where, in years, we are in a position where one man, one vote is the governing principle.  And if you look at the expert’s report, he speaks of equals, equality of vote, the strength of voters, he does not speak of effective representation.  I say that word because it’s a word that I’ve been hearing throughout the press briefings as it relates to effective representation.  This report through which the government, by virtue of the consent order, has agreed, and I would like to state that the consent order never came about by virtue of a mediation which is why we can speak of this.  There is no gag order, there is no confidentiality.  Both parties came to an understanding, negotiated the terms of the consent order and so it was a decision that was made by both the claimants and the defendants, free and fair.  There wasn’t ant intimidation, there wasn’t anything handicapping both parties.  They both sat down, negotiated for this, had meetings with claimants over many nights to reach this stage where we’re at and so it is the production of two sides agreeing that these are the terms that we want.  However, if you note at the heading, it says that the matter is stayed.  The matter is stayed providing that the claimants they have a right as well as the defendant to bring the matter back to the court in the event that those terms to which we have agreed to are not being followed.”