A new D.P.P. is named
The Senate met today to consider a new judicial appointment and examine the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill. News five’s Ann-Marie Williams attended the meeting in the nation’s capital.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
The third meeting of the Upper House since the government took office was held today on Independence Hill in Belmopan with twelve of thirteen senators present. After the business of the day, the Senate approved a motion for the appointment of Sheryl-Lynn Branker-Taitt as Acting Director of Public Prosecutions for two years.
What appeared on the surface to have been an easy appointment, given Branker-Taitt’s qualifications as an attorney of nine years who has served well in various positions ranging from crown counsel to assistant registrar, was anything but.
Opposition Senator Eiden Salazar was adamant in his objection; saying that the D.P.P. has to be able to deal with political pressures; citing the case of Orange Walk Mayor Ravei Gonzalez who knocked down and killed a two-year-old little girl and a man last week. Gonzalez has been charged with driving without due care and attention instead of the customary charge of manslaughter by negligence.
Eiden Salazar, Opposition Senator
“There have been a number of drivers who have been clearly identified as the person responsible of the deaths as a result of an accident who have been slapped with far more charges than were brought to the mayor. So Madame President, I will have to ask my colleagues in this honourable senate, do you see it fair? It has been what I consider the first case with a political implication that Miss Branker-Taitt has to deal with under this administration. I would ask Madame President, that before we in the Senate—and I ask my fellow Senators—before we can support this appointment that we are being given an opportunity to question Miss Branker-Taitt on certain issues.”
While Senator Henry Gordon was explicit in saying that he wasn’t trying to stop the appointment, he wanted the motion to go back to committee; remarking that this may well be the last time the Senate appoint the D.P.P.
Henry Gordon, Senator, Council of Churches
“There’s an amendment in the constitution that is going to come back to the National Assembly whereby this procedure is being taken out. I find that interesting because whilst the Senate will be given, according to the amendments proposed, greater power, power is being taken away and I wonder about the wisdom of that. I’m not saying there’s no wisdom in it but again I would like some clarification.”
Clarifications were done when the media was asked to exit the meeting for a committee of the whole Senate to convene. The Senate later approved the appointment of Sheryl Lynn Branker-Taitt as the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, replacing the embattled D.P.P. Lutchman Sooknandan.
The Freedom of Information Amendment Bill was also read for the third time. The Bill had not been amended despite Senator Godwin Hulse’s feelings that such a move is crucial to Belize’s democracy.
Godwin Hulse, Senator, Business Community
“I felt there were a bunch of other things that also should have been amended. Fundamentally, I felt that, if not in that act itself but in the Belize Constitution, there must be a clause that says all contracts, all agreements by the Government of Belize must be presented to the National Assembly. Let us be fully transparent, not that we have to go find a document and you cannot hold it secret. We’d have to know it exits in the first place.”
The Bill for an act to amend the Freedom of Information Act, Chapter thirteen of the Laws of Belize, will become law after it goes to the governor general for his assent.
Ann-Marie Williams, for News 5.
