House meets for final session of term, P.M. will announce election date Sunday

If any viewers out there were hoping for a special surprise at today’s meeting of the House and Senate they were disappointed, as the legislature closed with something less than a bang. Patrick Jones spent most of the day on Independence Hill and brings us the following report.

Other than a couple of bills for the incorporation of churches which received their second and third readings, the floor of the House in this its final sitting for the current term, was used by the U.D.P. representatives to say their farewells and engage in a bit of politicking. Prime Minister Esquivel, in getting the show started, read portions of a letter he received from the British Defence Minister which the P.M. said, reaffirmed that country’s commitment to Belize’s defense needs. After a year long review, the letter stated, the British government has decided to maintain the strength of its troop training contingent as well as continue its program of assistance to the Belize Defense Force.

Manuel Esquivel, Prime Minister

“I am pleased to say that the British Army Training support unit in Belize, BATSUB, will remain at the current level; the review has confirmed the requirement of our armed forces to be able to operate in a range of climate and environment and that the excellent training facilities in Belize should continue to play a full part in this. The Belize Defence Force will continue to be given access to BATSUB helicopters and British logistics support to the B.D.F. under the terms of the Belize supplies memorandum of understanding will continue.”

The anticipated dissolution of the House and announcement of election date was not a part of the P.M.’s agenda for today’s sitting. After the session, he told reporters that the date for the election will be announced at his party’s special conference on Sunday at Bird’s Isle.

Manuel Esquivel

“I don’t think there’s any tradition of any Prime Minister announcing the date of elections in the House. It is always done in a forum chosen by the Prime Minister.”

On the issue of inviting external groups to monitor the elections, the Prime Minister said there is no need for that, but that if it had to come to inviting monitors, he would strongly favor a body like the Organization of American States.

Manuel Esquivel

“This country has been democratic for a very long time. We’ve been through, since Independence; this is going to be our fourth general elections in which the Belizean people have demonstrated their ability to deal with a democratic election.

Again, we have to recognize that the Carter Center has a close association with the People’s United Party and as such they are hardly an independent and disinterested body. I have said so to President Carter and we would be quite happy if the OAS chose to come, they started the process when we started the re-registration and they at least represent a multi-national grouping of countries thought the hemisphere.”

Q: “Mr. Prime Minister, on the issue of re-registration, do you believe that exercise has improved your chances of winning the elections in 1998?”

Manuel Esquivel

“I believe it has improved the Belizean people’s chances of having a free and fair elections. We know that the list, which was created in 1978, which remained in existence for twenty years had become very corrupt and it was time for us to start over so we could have a clean list so the Belizean people could have a free and fair election. And I am convinced that that is what they will have.”

So until Sunday, we’re right back to the guessing game. One thing we do know, is that the Prime Minister is on record as saying that he will give notice somewhat longer than the minimum twenty-eight days. That would suggest an early September date… although many media houses, who depend on the current political advertising to carry them through the lean years, would not be sad to see the balloting wait until October fifteenth. Patrick Jones for News Five.

If viewers have noticed that our newscast has turned into an “ad-cast” for the two political parties, we can only offer the comforting advice that after election day we’ll be back to a more low fat commercial diet.