Guats Ready for Referendum on I.C.J. but What Says Belize?

Wilfred Elrington

With less than a month to go, eyes are on the voters of Guatemala, who on April fifteenth will go to the polls to decide whether they accept the International Court of Justice taking charge of the unfounded Guatemalan claim. No one is watching more closely, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington, than Belize, who is awaiting Guatemala’s decision before going to the polls itself. As he has said before, Belize has a few hurdles to get over before making its own decision.

Wilfred Elrington, Area Rep., Pickstock

“We have had good success; I would like to think, Madam Speaker, in relation to the Belize-Guatemala negotiations which is one of our priorities. We are very pleased to note that in fact it appears as if the Guatemalans will hold their referendum on April fifteenth. It’s a matter which we are monitoring very, very closely, and it is our hope and trust that in fact that matter will go through as planned. We continue of course with our education campaign on that matter; we understand, because of our electoral timetable, we cannot go as fast as they are going, but in the interim we are going to continue the education campaign, so that hopefully, by the time we go to referendum, every single Belizean will be fully informed as to the pros and cons of that issue. (Interruption) As soon as you tell me – you have signed on to it? You agree that we should go? I’m so happy to hear that. Congratulations! We want to go, hopefully, by early next year or later this year, as soon as we finish our education campaign and as soon as we finish the re-registration that you ask for, and if we do a redistricting, as soon as that is done, then we will go.”

There was no mention of how much will be spent on the education campaign.