P.U.P. returns to House, walks out again
The Opposition People’s United Party today ended a four-month boycott of the House of Representatives. But as News Five’s Patrick Jones reports, it wasn’t a particularly joyous home-coming for the P.U.P.
Vildo Marin, P.U.P. Member, Corozal Bay
“Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is…”
B. Q. Pitts, Speaker, House of Representatives
“There’s no fact of the matter…”
Vildo Marin
“…that the Prime Minister and his Government is scared to the bones…”
B. Q. Pitts
“Honorable member, will you sit down?”
Vildo Marin
“…and the people of this country are asking for elections now.”
B. Q. Pitts
“Memba sit down. I order you to sit down or I will have you put out.”
Vildo Marin
“We want elections now.”
The Opposition People’s United Party had gone back to the House with the expressed purpose of registering their desire for the Prime Minister to call the General Elections. But even the best-laid plans don’t always turn out right. Before the P.U.P. could get the opportunity to air its message, Attorney General Dean Barrow rose to set the record straight as far as the election is concerned.
Dean Barrow, Attorney General
“The life of this Assembly will expire on the fifteenth of July, 1998 and not before unless the Prime Minister decides otherwise. So, they need to get that clear.
Section eighty, five, one of the Constitution, Mr. Speaker, says quite clearly “a general election of members of the House of Representatives shall be held as such time within three months after every dissolution of the National Assembly as the Governor General acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister shall appoint”. A plain reading of that section and the one that I referred to earlier leaves no doubt Mr. Speaker that the next General Elections are to be called at any time within three months of the fifteenth of July. That is 1998, that is by the fifteenth of October 1998 unless the Right Honorable, the Prime Minister decides otherwise. Take the law from me.”
Having said that, it was all downhill for the Opposition from then on. And it wasn’t a particularly easy day for Mr. Speaker either.
B. Q. Pitts
“Strangers kindly sit; don’t disturb this meeting. Sit down. Get that man out this House. Officer Timbriel, you are there on the order of the Speaker. I say have those people seated and don’t lead them out; have them seated. They cannot standup while I am standing.”
P.U.P Leader Said Musa, in a News Five interview on Thursday said it was his intention to place on record, in the House, his party’s opposition to any plans the Government may be contemplating to delay the elections.
Said Musa, Leader, P.U.P.
“Yes, I believe that judging from the stuff they’ve been writing in their party organ that they have been trying to prepare Belizeans for a postponement of the elections. They’re trying to give an indication that they have up until October. In fact the mandate is very clear.
When people went to the poles on June thirtieth 1993, they elected a government for five years and that mandate comes to an end on June the thirtieth. And in any event the Prime Minister will be forced to dissolve the National Assembly on July the fifteenth. So we are saying comply with the spirit of the Constitution and comply with the mandate given to you. Your mandate comes to an end June thirtieth and you should call the elections by that day.”
B. Q. Pitts
“Today I will ask that if you ever try to do the same thing again…”
Amin Hegar, P.U.P. Member, Cayo West
“That is why we don’t come to the House, cause you don’t let us talk here. There’s no freedom of speech in this House.”
B. Q. Pitts
“Leave. Leave this house; just leave this House.”
But, like so many times before, the Opposition felt that they were once again being muzzled in the House and opted to bolt for the door and into the arms of their waiting supporters. Patrick Jones, for News Five.
The P.U.P. is tonight holding the fifth in a series of Peoples Assemblies in Orange Walk town where party leader Said Musa will outline his party’s three point plan to put the country’s economy back on track.
