PM does not support the 13th senator and opposition does
Dean Barrow
The debate on the thirteenth senator has been resurrected in recent weeks. It’s a concept which was passed into law by the U.D.P., but it never materialized. While the two matters are separate, the need for a thirteenth senator owes its resurrection to the ongoing immigration scandal. Recently, the Senate was deadlocked on a vote for an inquiry into the corruption in the Immigration Department. Three opposition senators and three from the unions, church and private sector voted for the inquiry. All six government senators voted no to the inquiry. A thirteenth Senator from the N.G.O.s, as was originally the intention, would have effectively broken that deadlock. And that is essentially why Prime Minister Dean Barrow says there will never be a thirteenth Senator under his watch but the Leader of the Opposition says the arguments advanced are nonsensical.
Dean Barrow (FILE November 27, 2013)
“No, the thirteenth senator will then mean that the senate will be controlled by the opposition and non-government senators and they will have the power to paralyze the government. I am very sorry, I am the one who pushed it into a U.D.P. manifesto, and this government pushed it forward in terms of constitutional reform. But then I quickly realized it is a wonderful ideal but in practice it will make no sense. The opposition is there to oppose, the so called social partner sectors are not there to ne friends of the government. And if you gave control of the chamber to that combination I am telling you there will be paralysis.”
Francis Fonseca, PUP Leader
Francis Fonseca
“The Prime Minister says that he has now realized that if you have this it would lead to paralysis. Absolute nonsense! Both the PAC and the Senate have limited powers but they cannot effectively stop the work of government. That’s an important point. But I also want to make the point, because as I said I have given this a lot of thought. If a government, if a Prime Minister has a particular law that he or she wants to pass, that the government wants to pass…they have a particular policy that they want to advance, a particular proposal that they want to move forward…man if you are not able to convince one of the social partners – if you are not able to convince the churches or the unions or the business community to support you in moving that law forward or moving that policy forward, then that must give you reason to pause. It must give you reason to pause and you must then go back to the table and say – what am I not doing right? So it is a good thing for us to have a 13th Senator who will require us to pause when we need to pause.”
When the law was passed the N.G.O.s had selected Mayan activist Greg Ch’oc as its representative in the Senate. It never came to pass because at that point, allegedly because Ch’oc and the PM was at odds over the Mayan rights debate.
who cares what this un-indicted criminal wants? Ali Baba does not want 13? Ali Hulse agrees?
You could have 25, it would not matter!!! the government is rigged criminal.
But Belizeans are ok with criminals running the government, just like being at being #98 per capita @$4kUSD, when it could be at #40 @$30kUSD without these fools wrecking the government.
Keep it up, eventually Belize will be so irelevant , only Guatemala will be interested in taking over the mess.
now i have to agree with francis on dis, it is the gevernments job to convince the social partners on laws dey wanna pass cz lets face it rarely will the opposition agree with the gov’t, so a 13th senator does mek sense but barrow the retract cz he no wa anodr headache. his minister dun the giva enuf as it is.
“They would have the power to paralyze the Government. I am very sorry. I was the one who, in fact, put that in a UDP manifesto; this Government pushed it forward in terms of constitutional reform, but I came to realize that it’s a wonderful ideal, but in practice, it will make no sense.”
Yea you are a sorry PM.
More like they would have the power to paralyze the Government corruption.
The real question is why the sleepy representatives are not investigating this, just like all the scandals coming out the cabinet. Real accountability rests with the representatives, who are in fact are the problem as conspirators.
Ali Baba is elected by his area, NOT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
BUT….
All representatives are elected by ALL of the country.
AND therefore accountable to the entire country!
More so than Ali Baba and his cabinet of thieves.
If anyone should be leading the investigation, this rubber stamp body should be it.
Another example the constitution is broken, and its membership are spineless wannabes who could not give a rats ass about Belize. Another reason Belize will be passed up by he rest of the world.
Godwin Hulse…..I watch you in disbelief riding along with corruption. Weren’t you the one when p.u.p was in power making a whole heap a noise about corruption. ….now you in the same corrupted boat….when i tell you people have two face. Its a shame you came to this Godwin….i am ashamed of you. You have no backbone. But guess what you may get away with every bad deed here on earth. But NEVER forget Godwin you have to answer to the almighty for your evil deeds against the poor people of our beloved nation. We must fear God because he is a GOD of justice. And He will see to it that you pay for all ur wrong doings and that include Dean Barrow and his bunch of thieves.
I hate to say but how can a learned person like the PM talk so much BS. A 13th Senator would introduce what is better known as checks and balances in a system of government that has none! The PM controls the Judiciary, the electorate, the legislator, and law Enforcement. Judiciary: he decides which judge (in both courts) get fired/layed off and which judge gets to keep his/her job; It’s of for him to control the electorate; because of these two he gets to make laws so he controls the legislator. What is even more sad is the PM has the Police Dept as his 4th branch of government. Sorry but Belize is an autocratic form of government. In his spoeach about the 13th Senator he clearly stated he plans to keep it this way. He wants to run unopposed! His words! I am sorry but this is no way to run a government that claims to be democratic. The other party is crying foul but why didn’t they do this when they were in power? They are claiming it is a good idea so like the current PM lets see if they will make that change when they get back in control! Same circus just different clowns!
They all seem to know what is best for the country when someone else is at the helm! If Belizeans need to not let themselves be blinded by politics and stop voting for this sort of mess and stand up to force changes you (the poor) will forever suffer.