Barrow rationalizes why he hijacked Telemedia…
The reports percolated over the weekend and this morning, in a special session of the House of Representatives, which interrupted the summer recess, Prime Minister Barrow rammed through the House with indecent haste, the first, second and third readings of a Bill for the government to take over control of Telemedia. The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back came after a ruling against the government by the London Court of International Arbitration last Friday awarding forty million dollars to the B.C.B. Holdings Limited and the Belize Bank as part of a long list of legal battles between G.O.B. and various Ashcroft associated companies. The U.D.P. controlled House passed the Bill in a vote of twenty- two in favour, three against; John Briceño, Francis Fonseca and Florencio Marin Junior, two abstentions – being the PUP’s Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde – and four absent. Notably, former Prime Minister, Said Musa was not present to vote on the Bill. And Barrow hopes to make the change before the end of this week with the Senate voting on it on Tuesday and signing by the Governor General. Barrow also announced it was taking control of the management of Telemedia. It is has named Nestor Vasquez as the chair of the new board and like déjà vu, the former Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel as a member. According to G.O.B., the government assumed shares will be offered for sale to the public and services will continue uninterrupted. The debate was short and members of the House on the opposition side were not privy to the decision and only found out when Barrow made the announcement. So why the rush on such a crucial matter of national interest? First we air Barrow’s explanation, including his admission that Lord Michael Ashcroft was his friend and funded his party’s campaign.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Now, I confess Mr. Speaker that the Opposition, indeed all members of the House, are only seeing the Bill for the first time this morning and yet we intend to pass it today. The lack of notice is regretted but could not in the circumstances be helped. The current owners of Telemedia, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, will stop at nothing to frustrate the business of governance in this country.”
“I have received financial contributions for the United Democratic Party from Michael Ashcroft but I oppose with every fiber of my being the U.H.S. guarantee and I made it clear, it is part of the democratic process investors will want to contribute to a political party. No such contribution handcuff me, no such contribution can padlock my lip. Could he seriously have expected that after I discovered those agreements, because he had contributed substantially to the party, that I would have countenanced those agreements? Man he could never have known me. For years he’s been a client of mine, for years I might even say he would have been a friend of mine but obviously he did not know this friend.”
John Briceño, Leader, P.U.P.
“I need to point out that w have not seen the bill so he has not given us the opportunity to sit down and properly study what is in front of us so that we can have a meaningful debate.”
