AG Peyrefitte: “N.T.U.C.B. March is Not Necessary”
Michael Peyrefitte
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize, as well as the People’s United Party, is holding separate demonstrations in Belize City in the days ahead. The N.T.U.C.B. will be mobilizing its membership on Thursday and will be taking to the streets of the Old Capital where they will demand that government honors a list of demands ahead of the next general elections. While the umbrella organization is preparing to protest, the opposition People’s United Party has also announced that it will be demonstrating on Sunday. When asked for his thoughts on both planned rallies, Peyrefitte says that the N.T.U.C.B.’s protest is unnecessary since it could have been ironed out with a simple meeting. As for the P.U.P. protest, he says that they were anticipating that the unions would come on board in a show of strength in numbers.
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General
“People are free to gather and unionize, so to speak, and even demonstrate. We live in a democracy and a free society and you are allowed to do that. It was curious that they rejected the P.U.P.’s offer to march with the P.U.P., but even with all of that, I believe that what they spelled out in their press conference could have been addressed with a simple meeting. In terms of UNCAC, just UNCAC, I wrote to them, I told them that the final report needs to come out, the United Nations had said that needs to come out before we embark on any projects or a reconstitution of the committee. I told them as well that I wrote to the UNODC in Vienna, Austria, they responded saying that the final report should be out within thirty days from February sixth. So all I was trying to tell them was, let’s wait for the final report, when we get the final report then we can convene the committee and from there we can start to prioritize which of the recommendations made by the UN that we want to implement. So I don’t think that the march was necessary but they are free to march if that’s what they want to do.”
Isani Cayetano
“Your thoughts on the P.U.P. holding its own protest on Sunday.”
Michael Peyrefitte
“I think the P.U.P. was hoping to march with the N.T.U.C.B. so they look like that could command a crowd. The P.U.P. is in no moral position to march against the U.D.P. or hold any kind of demonstration, but that’s just my opinion.”
