B.T.L. Vesting Bill passed in Senate
And while the legal aspects of the U.H.S. motion will be challenged in court, in Belmopan the Senate approved another bill that has sparked controversy: The Belize Telemedia Limited Vesting Bill. The Musa administration has maintained that the bill is designed simply to put an end to the turmoil in the telecommunications industry, but critics have accused the government of ulterior motives involving Michael Ashcroft and his fight with Jeffrey Prosser for control of B.T.L. News Five’s Kendra Griffith has the highlights of today’s sitting of the Senate.
Senator Dickie Bradley, Leader of Government Business
“I rise to move the second reading of a bill for an act to provide for the vesting in Belize Telemedia Limited of the business in Belize of Belize Telecommunications Limited and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”
Kendra Griffith, Reporting
First to object to the B.T.L. Vesting Bill was Senator Godwin Hulse, who felt that the Senate was being disrespected by not being shown the agreement which the bill speaks of.
Senator Godwin Hulse, Business Sector Appointee
“You will say to us, we ask you boys and girls to just simply approve our agreement which we don’t dear to show you because you don’t have the capacity to keep it quiet and private and secret but you give the approval and the approval for an agreement which I may change up until the day when your little Governor General pens it. Who the hell you think you are? And excuse the language. Mr. President, my apologies but sometimes I have to empty my stomach because I take this House as one of the most dignified, valued House in the entire land together with the House of Representatives forms the National Assembly of this country. And I would not in any form, fashion, manner or honour support its disrespect, its violation and any bill that comes before us which purports to do this, seeks to do just the same.”
“This is not an attempt to suggest that there is any sinister motive of forethought on the part of the promoters. And for those listening in B.T.L., at the very highest level of the management or in the Belize Bank and those esteemed colleagues who have spoken to me I sum up by saying this is not in any way to disrespect you nor to suggest that you have ulterior motives but to simply say to you, if you want us to give you our yes stamp, which we would gladly give so we can move on, then show me the letter of the agreement so I can know what is embodied therein and what you are asking me to support. On that note Mr. President, I apologize once again for my slight little slip and I will say God bless this nation and trust we have a note vote on this one and send it to Committee for further consideration. I’m also prepared to be sequestered to read the agreement.”
Echoing Hulse’s sentiments were Union Senator Rene Gomez and the Opposition’s Senators.
Senator Rene Gomez, Union Appointee
“This Vesting Act, this Telecommunications Bill has a lot of questions that are not answered in the bill itself where, as Senator Hulse rightly and eloquently stated, we need more transparency, we need to see the agreement, we need to see the Memorandum of Understanding, the Articles of Association and compare it to the present one.”
“How are you asking us to vote on a bill that we don’t have information? I, for my part Mr. President, will not do such a thing, an injustice to the people whom I represent, the workers and civil society.”
Deborah McMillan, U.D.P. Appointee
“I am not at all comforted by government’s reassurance. I reiterate, it is inappropriate, it is wrong to pass this bill without the necessary details. More importantly, and I think most seriously, is that it undermines the judgment of the Supreme Court. This Honourable House, the Senate, should not be asked to engage in overruling the decisions of the Judiciary. As a senator, I will have absolutely nothing to do with what I term a sinister action.”
Senator Diego Bol, U.D.P. Appointee
“I ask that this bill be amended, go to committee so that we can look at the agreement that was made and then satisfy our doubts and then vote for it for the good of the people of Belize.”
The only member who actually saw the agreement in question is Senator Anthony Chanona, who maintained that he was satisfied with its contents.
Senator Anthony Chanona, P.U.P. Appointee
“I saw the agreement at 9:30 this morning. It was important for me to have seen that and while we may not all agree I believe that all agreements, any agreement should be able to stand the light of scrutiny if we are to avoid problems, mitigate perceptions of skulduggery and secrecy. So while I have had the benefit of seeing that agreement, I believe that it would be in the interest of the Honourable Senate and a notion of good governance that this agreement be tabled to the Senate.”
“The document I gleaned appears to be straightforward; and agreement between Belize Telecommunications Limited and Belize Telemedia Limited. I saw provisions which protect, stated in language, the workers and shareholders interest and that is also evidence in the section I read where the prima-facie evidence of shares in B.T.L. is also as good as gold in Belize Telemedia. Mr. President, I support the Vesting Bill for the reasons I describe.”
Dickie Bradley
“I would have thought more issue would have been made in regards to the matter of taxes and the Honourable Senator Chanona has dealt with that properly. It is the issue of taxes which should be of concern to all of us but senators have missed that point; that we should be looking and seeing if in fact we could get something off of this.”
“There are two big issues that this bill is about, two big issues that this bill is about. One, whether the legislature should be called upon to do what it is doing because it is in the public inters to do so and two, which is the issue which we have not sufficiently flagged, is whether in doing so we should forgo any taxes that we would be entitled to.”
“But as president I want to appeal to you to do what the President normally does; stay out of the matter and referee the voting.”
Senators Balderamos-Garcia, Courtenay, Galvez, and Parks had no comments and the matter went to vote.
Philip Zuniga, President
“All those in favour kindly say aye, all those against kindly say no. I think the ayes have it.”
Clerk, Calling out Names
“Senator Dickie Bradley?”
Dickie Bradley
“aye.”
Clerk
“Senator Vincent Parks?”
Senator Vincent Parks
“Yes”
Clerk
“Senator Eamon Courtney?”
Senator Eamon Courtney
“Yes.”
Clerk
“Senator Dolores Balderamos-Garcia?”
Senator Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
“Aye.”
Clerk
“Senator Anthony Chanona?”
Senator Anthony Chanona
“Aye.”
Clerk
“Senator Isidoro Charles Galvez?”
Senator Isidoro Charles Galvez
“Aye.”
Clerk
“Senator Esther Ayuso?”
Senator Esther Ayuso
“No.”
Clerk
“Senator Diego Bol?”
Senator Diego Bol
“No.”
Clerk
“Senator Deborah Mencias McMillan?”
Senator Deborah Mencias McMillan
“Respectfully, no.”
Clerk
“Senator Godwin Hulse?”
Senator Godwin Hulse
“No.”
Clerk
“Senator Rene Gomez?”
Senator Rene Gomez
“No.”
Clerk
“Senator Moses Chan? Absent”
Philip Zuniga
“Honourable members, the division is there are six aye’s and five no’s so the aye’s have it.”
The Belize Telemedia Bill now goes to the Governor General for his assent. Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.
Senator Moises Chan representing the Council of Churches was absent from today’s meeting.
