Standards and Ethical Codes for All Public Officials, Says Minister Fonseca

Francis Fonseca

Should the Constitution of Belize include a code of ethics for politicians? The conversation has been at the fore since those sexual text messages involving Minister Andre Perez were brought to light. Reporters asked Minister of Education Francis Fonseca if he supports the establishment of a code of ethics for politicians. Here is what he said.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“I think that’s been discussed for some time now. And it’s not just our colleague. We have very clear cases of members, senior members of the opposition. Those cases have been, you know, discussed extensively. So let’s not pretend that it’s a cabinet minister and we don’t have very, very serious cases on the other side. So, I can tell you that even at the National Assembly level, there is a committee that’s looking at that issue, looking at a code of ethics for Parliamentarians. I think that’s a good place to start. But how can that then feed into the wider process of the Constitutional Commission, I think is a very good idea. I certainly believe that. I think we need to have standards and ethical codes in place for all public officials, not just politicians, but all public officials. And I think, I hope that forms a part of the discussion and debate surrounding the Constitutional Commission’s work over the next few months.”