Political reform recommendations approved

The final report was presented to Prime Minister Said Musa earlier this month, he in turn distributed it to Cabinet and yesterday they endorsed more than fifty percent of the recommendations submitted by the Political Reform Commission. This week’s Cabinet briefing says the ministers gave their support to sixty-three of the one hundred three recommendations and agreed to keep the remaining forty under constant consideration. Cabinet concluded that twenty-eight of the recommendations are already part of government policy or are already being implemented while thirty-five more will require constitutional amendments. The Attorney General’s Ministry will begin developing the appropriate legislation. Among the specific changes to be adopted: the period in which a person detained by police must be brought to court will be decreased from seventy-two to forty-eight hours, ministers’ power to legislate will be reduced by strict regulation of statutory instruments and all statutory instruments will be subject to a “no” vote by the House. Cabinet also supported the establishment of the office of the leader of the Opposition, the regulation of campaign finances and the political status of Permanent Secretaries. The also agreed to expand the rights of Belizeans to include the right to vote and the right to basic education and health care. In keeping with this last resolution, Cabinet has opted not to close the Corozal Town Hospital but to maintain it for elective surgery. All district hospitals will be upgraded. As far as tax relief, Cabinet agreed to exempt property valued at less than fifteen thousand dollars from property tax. Instead owners will only have to pay a twenty-five dollar fee to maintain the property’s listing on the tax role. To strengthen the role of the Ombudsman, the Prime Minister will present a motion at this week’s House of Representatives meeting to establish an Ombudsman Committee in the House. It will consider reports from the Ombudsman and his recommendations for possible action. The House meets this Friday at the National Assembly.