Eleventh Amendment to Be Tabled

There is a new piece of legislation being tabled in the House of Representatives in the days ahead.  The Belize Constitution Eleventh Amendment Act seeks to disqualify anyone who is a member of the National Assembly who has been convicted of an offense “in relation to corruption or abuse of public office or convicted of an offense relating to elections or who has served a sentence of imprisonment for more than twelve months, imposed by a court in or outside of Belize.”  Earlier this week, there was chatter about the proposed piece of law and how it could possibly affect the political career of Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow.  Late this evening, Barrow decried the Eleventh Amendment as, discriminatory, classist, inhumane, and unconstitutional.” He also says it is a pathetic attempt by the P.U.P. government to “criminalize the poor and disadvantaged.”