Why Hasn’t PM Briceño Sought to Challenge Definitive Agreement?

Shyne Barrow

During his interview with reporters, Barrow made the point that Prime Minister Briceño has challenged the legality of several contracts entered into by the previous administration.  He found it curious that PM Briceño did not denounce the Definitive Agreement, despite its many controversial clauses.

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“My reaction is the exposure of John Briceño, the prime minister of this country, for corruption.  The Definitive Agreement is abhorrent, as the former Prime Minister Barrow said and the former AG, Senator Peyrefitte, have both said, unauthorized, illegal.  I can assure you that when I am prime minister, one of the first legislations that we will pass is to ensure that no such agreement or no such legislation could be enacted after parliament is dissolved.  To me, that is unethical and the fact that the prime minister of this country, whom I have long told you, I have long told you that Portico was the favored port project.  I have gone on record to say that when we would discuss the perceived and now we can say the actual prejudices suffered by other port projects.  It is clear when we have a prime minister, his government has canceled every contract that the U.D.P. has done. Boledo.  Again, I don’t necessarily agree with that contract to begin with, but the prime minister, it’s a legally binding contract.  That was not done the way that the Portico Definitive Agreement was done, and while I don’t agree with the profit sharing that was taking place between government and Brads Boledo, it is a legally binding contract.  They canceled that.  How is it now that we have the prime minister saying, “this is a binding contract and there is nothing we could do.”  Then presenting that same Definitive Agreement, not doing what he is trying to present now, after the GX revolted against him.  His Cabinet revolted against him because of his presentation of that same Definitive Agreement.  He didn’t take that Definitive Agreement and mold it and shape it into a form that was beneficial to the Belizean people as I hear they are now going to do because he has been caught.”