Shoman: better to wait on referenda
With settlement of the Guatemalan claim stuck in diplomatic limbo, the public can’t really be blamed for believing that’s exactly where it will stay. Echoing remarks made earlier this week by Attorney General Godfrey Smith, this afternoon Belize’s Foreign Minister Assad Shoman told News 5 that his Guatemalan counterparts are convinced that now is not the best time to sell the proposals to their people. But Shoman says that while there could very well be a lengthy delay, any wait will be worth it.
Assad Shoman, Min. of Foreign Affairs
“That is a possibility. I mean I can’t say for sure that it won’t, you know, but it is possible that it won’t take place before elections. It’s possible it will. There’s no way I could specifically say one way or the other. “
Janelle Chanona
“Like he did, what’s your personal opinion, when do you see the referenda happening?”
Assad Shoman
“I prefer not to have a personal opinion on something like that because it’s open and anything can happen. But I mean I am prepared, we are prepared, I believe as a government, as a people, to take as long as it takes for the referenda to win in both countries. I think that’s the important thing. It’s no use to us if there’s a referendum in Guatemala now and a huge no vote is what it faces. That wouldn’t help us at all. So it’s better for us if we can wait until such time that at least the referendum would have a chance of being passed in Guatemala. That would be better for Belize.”
Janelle Chanona
“So you think that might be why the delay is happening in Guatemala. That they think that the climate is wrong for pushing a proposals package of this nature?”
Assad Shoman
“That is–as far as I understand it–that is precisely the reason. That they don’t want to take it and lose, and they fear if they do that, if they take it now it will probably lose.”
But as the facilitation process drags on, more Belizeans are losing faith in the powers of the Organization of American States. Shoman says the recent decision by the O.A.S. to occupy parts of the border area should become a catalyst for the peace process.
Assad Shoman
“One of the things that is coming up as an idea is that there will be a permanent presence of the O.A.S. along the borderline to deal with any problems that might arise. So there will be a big investment as there has been already from countries like the United States of America, like the United Kingdom, European countries, Latin American countries behind this process, behind these proposals, that any government in Guatemala, whether it’s the same party or not, will feel pretty much committed to at least carry this thing through to the point of having their people decide whether they agree or not; i.e. to take it to a referendum.”
Janelle Chanona
“You personally, this process is, you honestly believe this thing is very much alive and it will come to the people to decide on both sides of the border.”
Assad Shoman
“Yes, I believe we have that belief. It might not happen… it certainly will not happen tomorrow. It might not happen as soon as we would like it to happen, but if we keep to the course, if we keep united and we keep the support that we have right now in the international community, yes, I’m pretty sure it will happen.”
While Shoman continues to navigate the diplomatic channels, on the ground Belizeans are still troubled by the illegal encroachment of the Juda settlement near Benque Viejo. The Foreign Minister, however, maintains that the situation will be resolved shortly.
Assad Shoman
“The latest mission of the O.A.S. indicated to us that some lots have been drawn on the ground on the Belize side, that they are very few structures and when they say structures, they mean really huts, thatch huts, of very little value.”
Janelle Chanona
“But people were living there?”
Assad Shoman
“Four or five of those were on the Belize side. One of those was fully inhabited by a family with people living there, men, women, children. The others, they did not see any other signs of habitation. So we are not talking about a massive amount of people sitting on our land, we’re talking about an unfortunate situation where a municipality said, mistook that land, or decided to pretend that land was theirs, and give out lots. What the O.A.S. has said now is that they must stop any…nobody else should cross over and try to occupy any of those lots and we must wait until the new confidence building measures because right now, there is no real basis for anybody to say to Guatemala or to Belize, this is what you should do.”
And while local reaction to the indefinite suspension of the referenda remains primarily negative, it turns out that reaction on the international scene wasn’t much different.
Assad Shoman
“I think a lot of them were very disappointed that Guatemala has not found it possible to go to a referendum. After that initial disappointment and perhaps some of them even felt a little bit of frustration or anger towards Guatemala. After that initial reaction, I think there has been a sense of understanding that it’s no use to go into a referendum if they are going to lose. At the same time, a sense of holding Guatemala to the agreement that these proposals will be put to a referendum. So there is support for the process for the proposals to go to a referendum whenever it is possible to do so from the international community, certainly from the O.A.S., certainly, specifically from the United States of America et cetera.”
Janelle Chanona
“Would be ever consider straying away from the recommendation of having the referenda on the same day and go ahead and have our referendum here?”
Assad Shoman
“Well I don’t know. On that one, I am prepared to give a personal opinion. I personally don’t think it is a good idea. But there have been people who say yes, it’s a valid idea to consider so it’s an open question. I don’t believe it’s good but…I’m open to be convinced.”
Janelle Chanona
“Why?”
Assad Shoman
“Well because, for example, if it is held in Belize first, and there’s an overwhelming vote in favour, a lot of people in Guatemala who are against it will use it to say, you see Belize is voting for it because they get everything and we get nothing. So it would hurt the vote in Guatemala and vice versa. So for that reason alone, I think it makes sense to have it on the same day.”
A ministerial meeting is planned for early December at the O.A.S. in Washington D.C., where it is expected that the new document on confidence building measures will be signed by both Belize and Guatemala.
