Opposition Leader Barrow Apologizes to House Speaker Woods
Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow has issued a formal, written apology to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two months after an email was sent to her that raised the ire of parliamentarians in both houses of the National Assembly. On Friday, the leader of the United Democratic Party was given until October thirty-first to apologize for the remarks against House Speaker Valerie Woods. While Barrow was adamant that he would not apologize for the comments, he has shifted ground on that position. Tonight, News Five’s Isani Cayetano revisits the scenario that played out in the House back in August and how Barrow has subsequently arrived at an apology. Here’s that story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
When the House of Representatives met on Friday, it was hard on the heels of a meeting convened by the Constitution and Foreign Affairs Committee on October eleventh. The singular purpose of that session was to discuss an email sent by the Leader of the Opposition to House Speaker Valerie Woods two months earlier. That message was rudely brief and was interpreted as such by the presiding officer of the legislative body.
Valerie Woods
Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House (File: August 11th, 2023)
“The email was sent at 6:14 yesterday from the Leader of the Opposition and it states, “You, Madam Speaker, have exposed yourself to be a complete waste of time of a speaker of the honorable house. You repeatedly act as a shield for the government, shamelessly interpreting and misapplying the standing orders to protect the Prime Minister and his government from public scrutiny and accountability.”
In frustration, having only been informed the day before that the request for a no-confidence motion to be brought against Prime Minister John Briceño had been rejected, Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow responded curtly. In the wake of that statement being read aloud, many in the lower and upper houses of the National Assembly took umbrage at what was said. It also prompted the Belize Network of NGOs to issue a release condemning Barrow’s actions. But instead of apologizing, he doubled down on his position.
Shyne Barrow
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition (File: August 15th, 2023)
“When we go to the no-confidence motion, I submitted the no-confidence motion four days before the notice period which is four days, so eight days. Now, again, we talk about respect, we talk about authority, according to our constitution, constitutionally, I am of a higher authority than the speaker. It is the prime minister, then me. The Governor General, that is a figurehead, but according to the constitution, that is the authority that I have. So when the Leader of the Opposition, or any member of the house, any member of the house, but if we want to specify as to authority and who should get the reverence, if the Leader of the Opposition submits a no-confidence motion way days ahead, do you really think that it is respectful, that it is responsible to respond to the Leader of the Opposition in the negative, the night before the sitting of the house?”
After impulsively declaring that his U.D.P. colleague had crossed the floor last week, when he opted to draw distance from Barrow’s seemingly offensive remarks, the Leader of the Opposition is walking it all back. He is also apologizing to Woods ahead of the October thirty-first deadline that he had been given. Earlier today, a letter was sent to the Speaker of the House. It reads as follows, “I write in the spirit of a reset to offer my apologies for the offense you took to my email August tenth. It is regrettable that the valid complaints raised in my email have been high jacked by the PUP members of the house to serve their partisan agenda to distract the Belizean people from their failed government that has inflicted the most punishment on our citizens with heartless, hawkish policies.”
Julius Espat
Julius Espat, Chair, Constitution & Foreign Affairs Committee (File: October 13th, 2023)
“The recommendation is for an apology. But what does it mean when one gives an apology? This might help the Leader of the Opposition and hopefully it does. Apology helps us to move past our anger and helps us to not be stuck in the past. Offering an apology implies that they have hurt another person in some way and elicits a feeling of shame. We understand, we are human being, we make mistakes, you have to acknowledge your mistakes.”
In his statement expressing remorse, Barrow writes, “I have the highest respect for the institution of parliament and the Office of the Speaker, however, it is when there is a feeling that there is a lack of reciprocity in reverence for the Office of the Leader and his opposition members, then trust and confidence is eroded which translates into a house that is in disorder with members having little to no regard for the Standing Orders and required decorum that should guide our discourse.” On the issue of Standing Orders, this is what Barrow shared outside of the house on Friday.
Shyne Barrow
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition (File: October 13th, 2023)
“If you want to amend the Standing Orders [then] that is something we should discuss. If you want to seek clarification, if you want to expand the rights of the speaker outside of the honorable house, then do so. But don’t try to make it up as you go along and now want to govern the conduct of members outside the honorable house. And I make absolutely no apologies for calling out the speaker’s action, thank you.”
The about-face, nonetheless, is quote, for a reset between the Office of the Speaker and the Office of the Leader and his Opposition Members so we can conduct the business of the people’s house in an orderly manner that brings maximum benefit to the people we serve, end quote.
Isani Cayetano for News Five.
Earlier today, Opposition Leader Barrow wrote to the chair of the Constitution & Foreign Affairs Committee requesting that at an upcoming meeting of the working group on October twenty-third be used to discuss, “objectionable comments made by PM John Briceño to Honorable Tracy Panton on March tenth, 2023 in the honorable house, as well as the comments made by Honorable Abelardo Mai to Honorable Tracy Panton on June third, 2022 in the honorable house. I pray this matter is treated with the same urgency as the recent report from this committee requesting an apology from a member for conduct that occurred outside the honorable house”.
