Attorney Says Good Governance Should Be Ongoing Conversation

Darrell Bradley

And while Bradley agrees there is progress, he is concerned it took protests from the unions to get these good governance reforms on track. He notes this has been a trend under both P.U.P. and U.D.P. administrations. Instead, he feels there should be an ongoing conversation. 

Darrell Bradley, Attorney- At- Law

“One of the things I am concerned about is that these pieces of laws are emanating out of conflict. It is a unions debate. And so there is not an organic discourse about this. It is a reactive measure. This is true for both political parties. I think that both political parties have played political football where anti-corruption legislation. We saw that under the UDP Administration and I believe to an extent we are seeing it under this new administration. One of the point that I would want to make though is that I am very hopeful. As a Belizean we have to be optimistic. And I will give the Prime Minister, the honourable John Briceño credit for at least drafting the legislation and putting it out there for public discourse. The responsibility then now is for members of the public to respond. There have been an olive branch. There has been so to speak a first step in terms of putting the legislation out there. There has to be more consulting, there has to be dialogue. I have seen the draft legislation. I think that it needs to be strengthened in terms of the penalties and it needs to cover more instances and it needs to be more heavily incentivized. But at least we are talking about something. We are not speaking in a vacuum. We are speaking about draft legislation.”