Senators Sit for Inaugural Senate Meeting
Preceding the inaugural Sitting of the House of Representatives, an introductory Sitting of the Senate was held inside the chambers of the National Assembly. The Government appointed six new senators and they are Eamon Courtenay, Christopher Coye, Doctor Isabel Bennett, Bevin Cal, Collet Montejo and Erica Jang. The Opposition, United Democratic Party has appointed Michael Peyrefitte as Lead Opposition Senator who will be supported by Sheena Pitts and Aldo Salazar. The N.G.O. community voted to keep Osmany Salas in the Senate and so did the unions with Elena Smith. The Churches have chosen Bishop Moses Benguche to replace Pastor Ashley Rocke and Kevin Herrera replaces Mark Lizarraga as the Senator for the Private Sector. The President of the Senate is now Carolyn Trench-Sandiford who was warmly received by the senators.
Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Gov’t Business
Eamon Courtenay
“It is in fact a fitting achievement for a Belizean and a Belizean woman who has earned the respect of the Belizean community at home and abroad for all your work in building Belize both in the public sector as well as the private sector. As they say your reputation precedes you. I offer to you the support and respect of this side of the house. I expect that we will be able to conduct the business of this honorable senate with civility, equanimity and to be faithful to the oath that we took, to do good, to do right and above all to do justice.”
Michael Peyrefitte
Michael Peyrefitte, Lead Opposition Senator
“I was hoping that Senator Courtenay would have said what he said from all of us, not just on that side of the aisle because that is how we feel on this side of the aisle as well. I fully concur with what he said. We do know that democracy is not the neatest of things all the times. Sometimes it is contentious. Sometimes it is messy but we all took an oath to carry out our duties without fear, or favor, ill will or affection. I just want to say that on this side of the aisle as well we bear no ill will or special affection to anyone. We would do our jobs as all of us who have sworn to do and we fully congratulate you on your ascendency to the presidency of this most august body.”
Osmany Salas, Senator for NGOs
Osmany Salas
“On behalf of the NGO community and all of us I am sure that you embody the traits that distinguishes you from this post. I have had the pleasure, the opportunity to work with you on several initiatives in the past. So I know the characteristics, the traits that you bring. So Madam President I do expect you I look forward to you in continuing the traditions of the previous president to be fair and firm but also to build on that tradition and working with all of us to support the efforts to improve the functions and deliberations of this upper chamber.”
Erica Jang
Erica Jang, PUP Senator
“I feel very honored that I am appointed to be Senator. It is important that we have women representation in parliament and I believe as a woman, a Garifuna woman, a woman of belief who has experience all challenges that many people have experience, I believe that I have the capacity to serve as a senator.”
Kevin Herrera, Senator for Private Sector
Kevin Herrera
“It is really standing on the principles Our position won’t always be readily applauded by the administrations or perhaps by the opposition but that is our role. Our positions will be based on principle. It will be based on a long tradition of pushing for reforms, improving the system for governance. During my time that I was in the Chamber of Commerce we had pushed many reforms. I intend to continue to voice the need for additional reforms, to review the ones we have done before to try to strengthen them. Hopefully with my presence there and working with my colleagues we will be able to move the process a little bit further from where we met it.”
