P.U.P. People’s Assembly held in Belmopan

The People’s United Party held the ninth in its series of People’s Assemblies on Friday night. The venue was Independence Hill in the nation’s capital and the subject, appropriately enough, was the role of the civil service. Patrick Jones reports.

The plan outlined by Said Musa at the People’s Assembly on Friday night, would bring about comprehensive public service reform. In other words Musa told the several thousand who converged on Independence Hill, a government under his leadership would overhaul the entire system.

Said Musa, Leader, P.U.P.

“The challenge now is not only to reform the state in the face of changing global realities, but more fundamentally to win back the democratic advances that we had accomplished before the man-made disaster which is the U.D.P. 1993-1998 term. From our perspective, the goals of reform are: to promote the democratization of the state and of society, to generate efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector and to significantly improve the quality of life of the people. As we see it, we do not need a necessarily smaller nor bigger state, but a better state, one which under present global conditions can achieve a more just and sustainable development.”

But to achieve that goal, Musa says job one will be to strengthen the legislature.

Said Musa

“It falls to the P.U.P. to restore the dignity, purpose and power of the legislature. This is necessary not only to make democracy real, but also to make ordered economic development possible. One of the most important features of a reformed legislature must be the rehabilitation of the dignity of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who should be a person of impeccable credentials who should know the standing orders and customary parliamentary practice fully and apply them fairly and impartially.”

The proposal is for a Speaker to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the House, instead of simply a majority as is currently the case. And as the move to strengthen the legislature is made, Musa says that at the same time the powers of the Cabinet must be curtailed and made to be more accountable for its actions.

Said Musa

“We will install a smaller and more accountable Cabinet. We will appoint a finance supervisory committee compromised of non-partisan persons to act as a watchdog over government’s expenditure programs and projects. And we will ensure that ministers and public officials be made legally responsible for illegal or unconstitutional acts. The new P.U.P. government will take action to institutionalize the ethics of accountable government.”

Part of that accountability, the P.U.P. leader says will be to re-distribute political and institutional power as evenly as possible. One way he says will be to amend the City Council and the Town Board laws to give them greater responsibility and autonomy. On the issue of the Public Service, Musa outlined a three-point plan that has as its objective to put service at the forefront and boost morale of the civil servants.

Said Musa

“We must have an efficient and effective team of professional women and men who can get the job done without fear. We must give citizens the quality service that they deserve and we must provide conditions which will enable public officers to feel respected and fulfilled in their very important profession. In each of these areas, we have ideas which we will refine and adopt after appropriate consultations.”

Turning to the judiciary, Musa said the next P.U.P. government will fight to ensure that the system is free of political interference. This will include, among others, removal of the Solicitor General from the Legal Services Commission and instead make the Bar Association nominate a representative. Magistrates will no longer fall under the general jurisdiction of public officers but will be appointed by and subjected to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. The P.U.P. leader says they will also abolish the engagement of judges on contract and establish the submission of a budget for the administration of justice directly to the National Assembly. Following the presentation of the P.U.P.’s plan for the Public Sector, Musa fielded questions from the audience on a wide range of issues. Chief among the many hurled at Musa on Friday night… unemployment and the problem of land acquisition. Patrick Jones, for News Five.

The final presentation of the People’s Assembly will be held in Belize City on Saturday, August first.