PM Barrow Open to Input from P.U.P. on I.C.J. Case
As you heard, the P.M. is proposing to go back to a two-party approach between government and the opposition, following the May tenth I.C.J. referendum. But how much input will the People’s United Party be allowed in shaping Belize’s argument before the world court? PM Barrow says the P.U.P. can chime in as much as they want to, but not before urging them to separate issues on the home front from those that have to do with the actual case before the I.C.J.
Reporter
“Going forward to the I.C.J., many decisions will have to be made. If the opposition is interested or shows a genuine interest in what you determine is a non-obstructionist fashion, how much interest will they be allowed to give, especially considering the fact that at the next election they may inherit the process?
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“All the input in the world. I was a little bit surprised I saw the statement issued by the Leader of the Opposition and he thanked Belizeans and then he went on to say and now hopefully the government can get back to dealing with the pressing issues of the day, crime and whatever else. And that’s fine, but if we’re going to, in terms of the I.C.J., act together, can we separate out the domestic issues and agree that there can never be any timeout from those, but when we are discussing and in fact meeting together over the timetable and the schedules and the actions that need to be taken, can we leave aside the partisanship and the sniping and the potshots because there is absolutely no need to complicate issues and in fact I think we would do a disservice to Belize if we don’t resolve that insofar as this I.C.J. process is concerned. We must treat with that in a standalone fashion and that must not be attended by anything but amity and goodwill, but there may be issues on which we will disagree although it is hard for me to imagine what those would be. We are going to be advised by the best lawyers in the world. But the human mind is such that we can always find occasion to quibble and that’s perhaps to be expected. But by and large, if we can both resolve that in treating with this issue we are going to be on the same page there is nothing to hide, nothing to conceal. There is nothing to keep secret so as it were, the Leader of the Opposition should be copied in on everything, all correspondence should be shared with him and we should get together from time to time to assess where things are.”
