U.D.P. Senator Says G.O.B. Is In Contravention of Senate Standing Orders

Michael Peyrefitte, the Chairman of the United Democratic Party, is tonight saying that the Government of Belize is in contravention of the Standing Orders of the Senate, following the resignation of Senator Eamon Courtenay as a minister of government. The first sitting of the Senate for 2024 is set for February eighth. And, Senator Courtenay’s resignation from Cabinet means that he is no longer a government minister. According to Senator Peyrefitte, the Standing Orders of the Senate states that a number of government business, including motions and bills in the Senate, can only be passed with the support of a minister in the Senate. Senator Peyrefitte has written to the President of the Senate, Carolyn Sandiford informing her of the situation. In his letter he says, “the situation is quite vexing and requires rectification before we can sit and have a legal Senate meeting on February eighth”. We spoke with Senator Peyrefitte who is demanding that Prime Minister John Briceño place a minister in the Senate.

Michael Peyrefitte

Michael Peyrefitte, U.D.P. Senator

“Under the standing order of the Senate, certain things can only be done by a minister. With the resignation of Senator Courtenay from the Cabinet effective January first, the Senate has no minister which makes it impossible to move certain bills through the Senate, public business, government business, motions and money businesses in my view cannot be moved through the Senate by a regular Senator. You must be a minister. With the Senate meeting scheduled for February eight and no minister there, I have written to the president of the Senate to indicate that we have an issue. How can standing order 21 (3) says that government business shall consist of motions proposed to be made and bills sponsored by ministers and shall be set down in such order as the government sees fit. 22 states that no public money bill can be discussed without a minister. It says as follows, except on the recommendation or with the consent of the Cabinet to be signified by a minister and recorded in the minutes of proceedings. The Senate has no minister and so government business; public money business cannot be decided without the presence of a minister. Now, I don’t care if it was done a thousand times before the wrong way, bad precedents don’t make good law. It doesn’t matter by whom it was done. I am saying we are here now, in the present now in the Senate now and certain things cannot move without a minister. I am alerting the president to this fact because I plan to raise it if between now and February eight the Prime Minister doesn’t put a minister in the Senate.”