Cabinet sworn in; real work begins tomorrow
Yesterday their names were announced; today they were sworn in. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports from Belmopan as the transition to a new government continues.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
There was standing room only in the main hall of Belize House as the new United Democratic Party administration was officially sworn in by Governor General Sir Colville Young.
As announced by Prime Minister Barrow on Monday, in addition to himself, there are fifteen members of cabinet and five Ministers of State.
He may be a newcomer to the House but Wilfred Elrington is a familiar face who will have his hands full serving as Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
Attorney General Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
“I think far too long we have taken the view that poverty is our lot, suffering, hardship and I want to dispel that notion. So the initiatives I will take and the contributions that I will make to the debate will be with a view to make our people understand that we can generate great wealth and that we can live nice comfortable lives and that poverty will be a thing of the past.”
Pablo Marin is an electrical contractor and businessman by trade but the Corozaleno is confident he’ll do well in health.
Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
“I will show Corozal and the entire Belize, the nation of Belize, that you will have a good Minister, a Minister that care for the people and the healthcare system for me is one of the most important things in Belize and I will definitely put all my emphasis and my work, to do the best job that I can do.”
The newly minted Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Marcel Cardona has similar plans.
Marcel Cardona, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture
“I learnt about my appointment yesterday so today will be an eye opening experience, I will be attending the different ministries that I am responsible for and I will be acquainting myself thoroughly with all the different aspects before I am able to come up with some working plan, plan of action, perhaps within the next week or so as to how we can improve things for the young people of our country, in the area of sports, how it is that we will improve our sporting facilities etcetera and in the areas of culture, how we will be able to promote our culture both at home and abroad.”
But here at home, the P.M.’s announcement that all decisions by the new government would be collectively made, suggested an unsustainable level of micro-management.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I would prefer to err on the side of caution. If it turns out that after a while, after we see how things operate in practice that Ministers are bringing decisions that we all begin to see don’t really need to come to Cabinet to Cabinet then we can change but I think we should start on the principle that until Ministers hear otherwise, bring anything that they think to be of special significance to the Cabinet.”
While the new Ministers are moving into Belmopan, there is still some uncertainty in the People’s United Party. P.U.P. Leader Said Musa has said he will pass the torch but the question of when and to whom has not been settled. In due course, Barrow will call his first meeting of the House…and the agenda will be lengthy
According to Barrow, they will introduce a bill to change the composition of the Senate, giving the numerical majority to the social partners and the Opposition. Other legislation would seek to outlaw secrecy in Government contracts, prevent unjust enrichment, strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman, set a three term limit on the Office of the Prime Minister and empower Standing Committees of the senate with constitutional power to summon members of the executive and other officials to account for way public monies are spent.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“When you put together the new improved powers that the Senate will have alongside the fact that there’s an Auditor General who has already shown, Mr. Zuniga I think his name is, that he’s very serious about doing his work properly and strengthened powers that we’d hope to give the Contractor General and the Ombudsman. I think we will be creating very clear, very compelling legal arrangement that will guarantee the Belize people oversight and accountability.”
The U.D.P. government accepts that those things will take time but promises there will be some relief in the short term.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“We will move quickly on things like the removal of G.S.T. from certain basic items, the replacement of the current tax on fuel by another lower tax that will mean some quick relief with respect to pump prices. It’s just that the large things, the whole sea change that we wish to accomplish with respect to lowering unemployment, creating jobs, with respect to more money in people’s pockets, with respect to a better more effective, more comprehensive delivery of basic goods and services, clearly will take a little longer to do.”
And it certainly took time for the new Ministers to make it out of the G.G.’s residence as hundreds of supporters from across the country lined the driveway to publicly salute their elected officials. But with the fun part out of the way, the real work begins. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
Looking across the floor to the Opposition side, it appears that three of the six P.U.P. representatives are at least entertaining the thought of succeeding party leader Said Musa, who is expected to turn over the reins by May. Deputy Leader John Briceño has the most seniority but there are doubts whether he wants the post badly enough. Mark Espat has the most solid credentials and is supported by Cordel but is anathema to Said, Ralph and many of their diehard supporters. Francis Fonseca, on the other hand, is a Ralph and Said loyalist … which in the public mind probably disqualifies him from consideration. There is pressure to avoid an open fight on the convention floor and for now, at least, everyone has their guns holstered and their hands on the table.
