U.D.P. Mayoral Candidates Denied Leave of Absence Without Pay

Municipal elections are thirty-seven days away and two U.D.P. Mayoral candidates are facing troubled waters. Belmopan Mayoral Candidate Jacklyn Burns and Corozal Mayoral Candidate Ricardo Ake both applied for leaves of absence without pay from their teaching jobs, to focus on their political pursuits.  Today, those U.D.P. mayoral candidates received official notice that their application for leave of absence without pay have been denied by the Teaching Services Commission.  The commission’s letter to Burns refers to rule eight-five of the Education Rules that states, leaves of absence without pay are granted to allow teachers who are elected or appointed to a public office in a full time capacity, to maintain that teacher’s continuity of service and to preserve the post. Well, Burns contends that precedents have been set at the Belmopan Comprehensive School on two occasions. She is now appealing the decision. We spoke with her this evening.

Jacklyn Burns

Jacklyn Burns, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan

“There are different stipulations under rule eighty-five, the final one which states “any other special reason approved by the commission”. This rule has been used in previous instances specifically at my school, in two instances I can recall where teachers have taken leave without pay to go on the campaign trail. In one instance it was a teacher who was a campaigner and in another instance it was a teacher who was a councilor candidate. It doesn’t matter which party was in power, these leaves have been granted, whether it is a friendly government, because the law is the law and it is suppose to be un biased. I think what the commission did when they met is that they looked only at one portion of the leave possibilities and didn’t consider any other special reason as one of the consideration. It certainly complicates things, it leaves with being at school during school time and after school hours I am free to go on the campaign trail. But there are a lot of other things that should happen, especially gearing up closer to the election, where we are thirty-seven days away. And I want to point out; I am not the only teacher vying for a mayoral seat. There is also Mr. Ricardo in Corozal and he went through the same exercise. He applied for leave and he was denied as well.”

Paul Lopez

“Do you consider that there politics is at play here, a level of undermining from the powers that be within the current administration?”

Jacklyn Burns

“Certainly, if they are confident in their candidate I don’t know why they would deny my life. And even if they are confident, there is some sort of discrimination happened here, because precedents have already been set in this matter. So I have appealed to the appeal tribunal in the Ministry of Education.”