U.D.P. Maintains Its Call for Andre Perez to Resign Forthwith
Andre Perez
As we reported, the 2023 Belize Investment Summit is being held in San Pedro, the hometown of Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez. We understand that the embattled Minister of the Blue Economy was scheduled to sit as a panelist during a roundtable at the event. Earlier this month, amid the sex scandal involving the P.U.P. politician, Perez sought and was granted a leave of absence. His hiatus from cabinet is indefinite and in Perez place, Prime Minister John Briceño has assumed his ministerial responsibilities. But a leave of absence is not nearly enough, says U.D.P. Senator Michael Peyrefitte. He is calling for Perez’s resignation as an elected official.
Mike Peyrefitte
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
“A leave of absence is unacceptable. There are standards of behavior that we must demonstrate when we are in the National Assembly and it is my personal belief that he should resign. He should resign, give the people of Belize Rural South a chance to pick someone else. He should be dismissed from Cabinet if he doesn’t resign. That is my current position that was my position then. It is now, and I think it would be the right thing to do. It cannot just be that he gets a pass. It cannot just be that it slides. It cannot just be that, “oh, it’s business as usual.” No. That was a serious situation and I repeat, I have no concern in the personal, sexual behavior of PUP ministers, but when you talk about the possibility of threat of death, sexual assault, rape, that is something that is serious and I think that the member should remove himself from that. Doesn’t behavior, doesn’t decorum, doesn’t concern for investors come in for things like that? The hypocrisy is glaring.”
Isani Cayetano
“Similarly, there’s also a situation involving the area rep for Stann Creek West where it could be argued that he was engaged in conduct that’s unbecoming of an elected official.”
Mike Peyrefitte
“Yes. Well especially, I don’t know, there’s talks about possibly the exchange of favors, I don’t know, I’m not saying that because I have no evidence of that. But if that is the case then similarly, he should resign, similarly, he should be removed from cabinet.”
