PM Briceño to U.D.P. Lead Senator, “Precedents Have Been Set”.

Prime Minister John Briceño

Earlier this week, on Wednesday, Senator Michael Peyrefitte criticized the Briceño administration over the absence of a government minister in Senate. Senator Peyreffitte argued that the Government of Belize is in contravention of the Senate’s Standing Orders, following the resignation of Senator Eamon Courtenay as a minister. He contended that certain motions and bills cannot be passed through the upper house without a minister in the Senate. Today, we asked the Prime Minister for a response to Senator Peyrefitte’s comments.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I could say a lot of things about the opposition’s chairman but I will answer straight. If he was to look back in history it was the United Democratic Party government that had Fred Martinez as the leader of government business in Senate and also had him attend Cabinet meetings for that same reason. In our instance it slightly different in that we maintained Senator Courtenay, maybe he is afraid to debate Senator Courtenay and wants to get him out of Senate, but Senator Courtenay has the confidence of our government and is prepared to serve our government as the leader of government business. So there is nothing more to it.”

Paul Lopez

“But the fact that he is no longer a minister, does that not pose a challenge to the standing orders.”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I don’t think you listened to what I said earlier, the first government to do that was the UDP government between 1993 and 1998 when they had the late Fred Martinez came in and he was the leader of government business and they give him Cabinet privileges so it is a precedents that has been set.”

Paul Lopez

“Sir, you are saying in colloquial terms, do suh nuh like do suh, but basically two wrongs don’t make one right.”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Who said it wrong. Just because he said that? Please man, like I always say if I need a lawyer that is certainly not the person I am going to use.”