New governance commission appointed by P.M.
Following the mass resignation of twelve members of the governance commission last November, today the Musa administration announced a new list of persons appointed to the body. The group comprises of ten members and will serve for two years. It’s mandate to act as “an advisory body to the Government of Belize on public sector modernization initiatives and good governance practices” sounds very familiar but today the Prime Minister maintained that this time around things will be different.
Prime Minister Said Musa
?The confidence will come. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and already the Office of Governance headed by Mrs. Myrtle Palacio has taken several initiatives to: in terms of training, in terms of improving the public service, in terms of moving us towards ?E? government, which I think is the future, and in terms of efficiency. So it is a work in progress and I guess we can?t just call on the people to have confidence overnight. I think people will judge us on our performance and yes, I think it will come. This council, yes, is still an advisory body but it still has a focused office of implementation headed by Mrs. Palacio, so I think there will be a marked difference and improvement as we about things.?
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
?You mentioned in your speech that you hope to see this mark improvement in two years time is that because that is when general election is due??
Prime Minister Said Musa
?Well, it is a good marker to show what we have done for the Belizean people when we go back for the mandate, for their vote.?
Meliton Auil, Chairman, C.G.M.
?I believe that the purpose of the council is worthy. I think we can offer a lot to the Belizean public in terms of what we are all screaming about, good governance and modernization in the public sector. That is my belief over the last twelve to eighteen months when we have had this entire outcry for good governance. I believe we should engage the politicians. This is my way of engaging. And I believe government on a hold, is not only the people in Belmopan but every citizen of Belize.?
The council members are Oswald Twist, Godsman Ellis, Bishop Philip Wright, Ernesto Saki, Marian McNab, Joseph Waight, Raymond Davis and Lily Bowman. In their resignation letter to the Prime Minister the majority of the members of the former commission asserted that for one reason or another, Belmopan dragged its feet in implementing key policies regarding governance and reform.