Guatemala approves compromis

The Guatemalan Cabinet has agreed to sign the special agreement to take the territorial claim to Belize to the International Court of Justice. That was the good news that Chief Negotiator Fred Martinez, brought with him this morning to a media orientation session on the issue held at the Belize City House of Culture. The three-page document took six months to be drafted and will not be made public until after the signing, not because they are being secretive explained Foreign Affairs Consultant David Gibson, but because the situation is delicate. The experts revealed today that the structure of the agreement is a preamble outlining the points that the court is being asked to rule on, under what jurisdiction they want to court to rule, the court procedures and timeframes, languages to be used, the plan of action after a decision has been reached, and of course the need for a referenda and the question to be asked in both countries. The decision by both Cabinets to sign is, however, a minor step to The Hague as there are numerous processes which need to be followed by both sides to lead up to the signing and the referendum. Martinez explains.

Ambassador Fred Martinez, Chief Negotiator
“There is a process to be followed in their internal system that by the end of the month, hopefully, we will have it signed. We need to set the date for the signing along with the Secretary General of the OAS, so it’s a coordination of timetables really between the two ministers and the Secretary General.”

Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General
“We think that this is the right thing for us to do. We want a settlement of the dispute for the number of reasons which we articulated earlier and so we are happy that this step has been overcome, they’ve taken this step. We anticipate that they will have many more problems with it than we are having, but that was welcomed news that at least the Cabinet has agreed unanimously to sign it.”

Fred Martinez
“Let’s say it’s signed at the end of the month, first December. After first December, there is no time frame by which it has to go to congress or the National Assembly but that is dependent on the time frame of, in the case of Belize, when the prime minister wants to take it to the National Assembly or in the case of Guatemala, when the president wants to take it in. By December, there are recesses in the legislative system so both may not begin to see the documentation until January. In Belize it’s a different process, the National Assembly might deal with it quicker than Guatemala. In Guatemala the congressional system is long and complicated. That’s their system, we can’t argue with it. So we are looking at a time frame of January to three months if Congress approves it if it is approved. And if it is approved then they will set a date—agree to convene a referendum. Once they agree to that, that will have to be negotiated to Belize as to what date that referendum will be held because it’s going to be simultaneous, both countries on the same day. So I am looking at a time frame of maybe nothing earlier than June, July next year for any referendum to be held.”