PM Barrow says government will not give in to blackmail
The P.M.’s lengthy press conference covered various issues including the relevance of the core sampler and the way negotiations went leading up to yesterday’s with the Cane Farmers Association. When questioned by the press of why he did not meet the cane farmers in Orange Walk, the Prime Minister said he had no regrets and would do it the same way again. He was adamant that the demands made by the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association were not going to be entertained. Barrow told the media that he was giving time to the farmers to rethink.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I’ve told Mr. Magana that that’s not going to happen, at least not in the current circumstances. We naturally have to look at all that has gone on and the various roles played by various people. But to demand without any kind of due process, without any kind of examination of the circumstances, government would simply given into a form of blackmail. Fire Mr. Acosta is not on. What they are asking for involves as well BSI and what they are asking for in terms of saying abandon completely the reform measures, or at least that particular feature of the reform measures, will have fundamental consequences for the industry—this is not my industry, it is their industry and also a national industry. I said yesterday that the reform measures are also being required by our external partners, the E.U., which had to cut back on its prices in order to compensate agreed a financing package to the industry. If the farmers are to achieve this demand that core sampling payment by quality be abandoned forever, I put it no higher than that this will have grave consequences to the industry. It may well be that if there’s a determination to say to hell with the industry at that is that will have to happen. But there is no way that I will agree to that, to some extent it’s beyond my power, but in so far as I am being required to bless this position there is no way that I will do that without sitting down at the table so that some home truth might be spelled out and so that we can be clear that if this is the road that we are going to take, we’re going down that road with our eyes wide open. Long story short, in so far as it is within my power, I do not adhere to this demand that some official pronouncement be made that core sampling and reform is through the window. That of course leaves the third demand, which is promised on the first, that there is to be no negotiation, there is to be no discussion unless the first demand is met. I turn it completely around, there will have to be discussion before any contemplation of possible movement for the first demand can take place.”
It is known that the prime minister travels tomorrow to the USA for his impending nuptials and that the man that will hold the reins is Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega.
