Still no word from Eric Chang’s return; Mayor says it is unacceptable

Darrell Bradley

Still on the issue of the passport scandal, Belize City Councilor Eric Chang’s arrival is eagerly anticipated. Chang has been M.I.A. since September third, and last week, he was stripped of his Deputy Mayor title. Mayor Darrell Bradley today told News Five that there has been no further communication with Chang, but his extended absence is not appreciated. According to Bradley, he has no idea where Chang is, or when he will return, and that is unacceptable.

Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor

“We still have not had any update. Following the meeting, I indicated to him what the council’s position was. I indicated to him that he still occupies the position of councilor; that is an elected position, it is a serious position and he needs to be participating within the council. He needs to be representing the people of Belize City and we have not had any communication with him since that decision.”

Reporter

“First what was his reaction to being stripped of his deputy mayor portfolio?”

Darrell Bradley

“Well he has just not respond.”

Reporter

“So there has been no indication from him whether he does intend to come back?”

Darrell Bradley

“Well this was one of our problems and this was one of the reasons why we felt or I felt that we had to move ahead with this issue because we had not gotten sufficient responses from him as it relates to when he is planning to come back within Belize. I have heard through other sources that he was planning to come back to Belize this week; I was hearing that he was planning to come back next week. The person is a councilor for Belize City; I have written him, I spoke to him on the phone, I asked him and explained to him how urgent this situation was. I wrote him the decision we took in the last council meeting and one of the things that I had expected was that he would write me back and say mayor I realize the position; I understand why you had to take the position. I will come back into Belize on the eighteenth of October, on the twentieth of October or on the twenty-fifth. As it stands right now, we have a councilor and I don’t know when he will come back into Belize.”

Reporter

“Has he indicated in these communications that he understands that he will face questions both within the councils and from the press?”

Darrell Bradley

“Yes because I explained to him quite clearly that when he returns I will have a meeting with him immediately. And the councilors also wanted to have an immediate emergency council meeting so that they can discuss with him in relation to this because it has caused a cloud and stain over the name of this council. We have invested a lot of energy in ensuring that the city council is running with the highest principles of integrity and accountability and anything that threatens that, we will deal with urgently and seriously. And councilors have indicated to me that immediately upon his return they want to sit in caucus and they want to discuss with him the entire situation including why he has stayed away for so long because some of the councilors are not satisfied with his explanation.”

Bradley says that if Chang does not return soon, the Council will be looking into the situation with a view to removing him as a councilor.