Senate Vote Divided, but Senator Coye Calls for Belizean Unity

Christopher Coye

Wednesday’s Senate debate on the 2021/2022 General Revenue Appropriation Bill ended in a division vote.  All six P.U.P. senators voted in favor of the Bill, as did the Senator for the Business Community, Kevin Herrera and Senator for the Churches, Bishop Alvin Benguche.  All three U.D.P. senators voted against the Bill, as did Senator for the Unions, Elena Smith. Senator for the N.G.O. Community, Osmany Salas abstained.  So, at the end of the debate, the majority vote was in favor of passing the budget.  During his presentation, P.U.P. Senator and Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment, Christopher Coye, called on Belizeans to join forces for the love of country.

Christopher Coye, P.U.P. Senator

“In the simplest of terms, we all of us, red, blue, yellow, green, and every other color in between, political color or creed, we all have to get up, stand up, and work, if we want to achieve the vision of Belize. To rescue and build this country with the constitutionally stated principles, belief and ideals, not only for ourselves, but for more so for our children, for the love of our country. We all have to give more of ourselves to our country than we have ever given before. This is not a time to take for oneself, the modus operandi of the past. This is a time to give of oneself, the modus vivendi of the future. This budget represents the former fiscal representation of that effort, that work, that giving of ourselves for the benefit of our country and our children’s future. Yes, the past U.D.P. administration has made it harder on all of us with the heavy debt load, the government is fiscally constrained from pursuing a counter cyclical expansionary policy in this time of economic depression. The government cannot undertake massive government expenditures to fill the gaping hole left by the economic contraction in the private sector.”