Jorge continues to be critical
It used to be that any dissension and debate in the ranks of Government took place in the veiled confines of the Cabinet room, and by the time the ruling party presented legislation to the House of Representatives, it was with the face of perceived unity. From there it would be expected that the issue would be unanimously supported by one side and thoroughly rejected by the other. That’s the way it used to be. But now with former Cabinet Minister Jorge Espat settled into the backbench, it seems that anything is possible in the House. On Friday when the government’s bill for Senate reform was read for the first time, the strongest criticism came from within the ranks of the PUP.
Jorge Espat, Area Rep., Freetown
“It is Section 614A and Section 614B that run riot of my democratic and civic faith. A mere increase in the number of the members of the Senate that continues to concentrate power in the executive, albeit on step removed, will result in exactly what now exists. Madam Speaker, the issue of who decides is central in a democracy. The issue of election is no small matter. The legitimacy of a representative institution is the derived from the people and its integrity is determined by the electorate. I do not support an amendment that aspires to exclude the Belizean electorate. The exclusion of the Belizean electorate to elect seventy-five percent of the members of the Senate is itself a central problem in our democratic situation, where so often we exclude our citizens from major governing issues. It smacks of the colonial Governor appointing our council. It is not a declaration of faith in our democracy and in Belizeans.”
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Min. of Human Development
“Don’t give me drivel about separating powers. I respect entirely and absolutely, my colleague from Freetown’s right to make his contribution to the debate, and to disagree on matters of constitutions reform and democracy. I only wish perhaps that he had told us more about it. Some of the submissions that he has made, I am hearing for the first time today. Certainly, I am not getting up today just to make a speech. I would like to contribute to this discussion. I am a part of a government, as well as being an elected representative, and the day that I wish to fundamentally disagree, I won’t only step onto the back bench, I will step out Madam Speaker.”
The proposed reforms would see the senate expanded to sixteen Senators, all appointed, but would include representatives from key areas of the community. The current Senate is made up of nine people. Five are appointed by government, three by the opposition, and one by the Governor General.
