Amid sound and fury outside, budget debate proceeds
There was no shortage of familiar faces today, both inside and outside the National Assembly in Belmopan. But 2007 was not 2005 and while protesters had no lack of issues, they did not come close to interrupting the completion of the budget debate. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports from the nation’s capital.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
At ten this morning, the debate over the 2007-2008 budget continued in the House of Representatives in Belmopan. First to take the floor was opposition member for the Mesopotamia division, Michael Finnegan.
Michael Finnegan, Area Rep., Mesopotamia
“Madam Speaker, this is a pathetic country. We are living in a good country but with pathetic leadership, let us never forget that Madam Speaker.”
Armed with a handful of index cards, over the next two hours, Finnegan chronicled with he referred to as a long list of unfulfilled promises by the PUP since 1998.
Michael Finnegan
“How can we forget this great one of cheaper wata bill, no wah forget, cheaper light bill, cheaper telephone bill, all in the manifesto of Set Belize Free. They promise cheaper light bill, cheaper water bill, cheaper telephone bill. Madam Speaker it is nine long dreaded years and we are still waiting.”
“Are they talking about nine percent unemployment rate. Is something wrong with the Prime Minister? Is something wrong with this Government? Unemployment rate, why you think so much crime deh happen inna this country? Why you think so much man di jack man, deh dreg chain? Why you think when you sit down inna yuh office, everybody di bolt down inna yuh office? People no wah come dah the office and people noh want to lose their dignity, but you dah the only person they know that could help deh weh dah their area representative, so they come. But Madam Speaker I will give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt. I am a very fair man. I am a very fair man Madam Speaker and I will give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt and the Prime Minister will answer and say, that’s why I give him the benefit of the doubt. That figure was given to him by the Statistical Office. Well Madam Speaker, I hope I am not unkind and I hope I will not be rude and I don’t want it to be misinterpreted, but every one ah them weh work dah that statistics office, I woulda want they put they out dah Market Square and flog them good. If they give the Prime Minister that figure, that the country’s unemployment number is nine percent, something is basically wrong with that office. And you can see the dishonesty, but Madam Speaker, I wah give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt.”
“The government, you have had nine years. You have had nine years to deliver. We will not forget and the people of this country will not forget that you have not delivered the goods and services for the people of this country. Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister must now do the honourable thing. You must not leave us in waiting, call the elections now. And I thank you.”
Johnny Briceno, Area Rep, Orange Walk Central
“They come to this House and speak and boast about that they are a government in waiting. They are not the ones to decide if they are going to be the next government, it is the people of this country, it is the voters from Orange Walk Central, the voters of Cayo South, it is the voters from Corozal district all the way to the Toledo district that will decide who is going to be the next government.”
“I support this budget because it shows our emergence from the challenges of the past couple years to the promise of prosperity that every Belizean deserves. I support this budget because it puts us back on track, enabling us to continue to deliver on our manifesto commitments. I support this budget because it brings us closer to providing our young people with greater opportunities for education, build healthier communities, and because it continues to fight against the scourge of poverty. I support this budget because once again it recognises in the Belizean people, the boldness to move ahead, to face the challenges of development, and to become stronger and more confident citizens.”
“Madam Speaker I want to point out that the intelligent people of Orange Walk Central and the intelligent voters of this country are now in a position to look at the record of this government and to look at what the UDP is proposing or purporting to do for this country, and I am confident that whenever the Prime Minister decides to call the elections I have the confidence on the people of Orange Walk Central, I have the confidence of the Belizean people, that they will once again vote for a government of the People’s United Party.”
[Applause]
And as the presentations continued inside, at the Belmopan Civic Centre the unions were rallying their supporters.
George Frazer, Asst. Sec. Gen., NTUCB
“We are going out there to let our voices be heard in song and otherwise.”
Anthony Fuentes, President, BNTU
“Solidarity! Teachers, public officers and other unions, we are out here to show our support and it is important that we come out here stand up for our rights.”
From there the protestors, made up of mostly teachers from the Belize and Cayo districts, held their posters high, lifted their voices in song and headed for the steps of the National Assembly.
Rough estimates suggest that approximately two hundred and fifty men and women braved the blistering heat to demonstrate today. Organisers had initially cited support for fellow union leader Christine Perriott following her termination from Belize Telecommunications Limited, but when no member of the Belize Communications Workers Union or Perriott showed up today, the teachers were left to fall back on their anger over the publication of their scores in the Primary School Examination and “national issues”.
Teacher
“We were told, they said, “Teachers unu come dah this workshop man because we want help unu fi be better teachers.” That dah the first lie. Two, when we get dah the workshop, they had we seated, they mek we comfortable, and then they seh, unu got wah test. Three, when they done seh unu got wah test, they seh unu got twenty minutes fi do this test.”
Anthony Fuentes
“We are feeling good despite the fact that we do not have the full force out here, but we are definitely satisfied with the amount of people who are out here to show their support and solidarity with what is going on in our country.”
Janelle Chanona
“I notice that most of the protestors at this point are teachers, what is your union’s main beef, so to speak, with the government?”
Anthony Fuentes
“Beside the issue of the P.S.E., we also have the national issues that are affecting our country, so we are out here to show we are not satisfied with what is going on.”
Janelle Chanona
“What specifically aren’t you satisfied with?”
Anthony Fuentes
“Well we have the issue of the amalgamation of the K.H.M.H. with Universal, we have the issue of union busting, we have the issue of the bonds also, and other issues affecting our country. The issue of the high level of poverty, especially in the Toledo district, nearly seventy-nine percent poverty. So those are some of the issues we are protesting and of course the rights of workers to be respected in our country.”
Janelle Chanona
“Did the B.C.W.U. give any reason why they are not participating today?”
Anthony Fuentes
“Well at our last National Trade Union Congress of Belize meeting, all the unions stated that they were going to be out here today. So I don’t know why they are not out here today, but as usual the teachers are always ready and able to show its support and solidarity.”
“The number doesn’t matter; it’s the principle of what we are standing out here for today.”
Dylan Reneau, President, Public Service Union
“It’s to protest, to show solidarity first and foremost for the B.T.L. workers, we want those four workers reinstated; to also send a message to the government that we are still here, we are still discontented, and we want changes. I would want to say that we are also here to protest the budget, which is a bunch of figures that really don’t translate in what they say they should do, year after year. We are satisfied with the turnout today because at the end of the day this is a process. 2005 did not happen in one day, it took a process and we are building towards that process.”
Janelle Chanona
“I notice the B.T.L. workers aren’t out here. Was that for a particular reason? Are they coming?”
Dylan Reneau
“As far as I understood, they were threatened that if any of them left their workplace that they would be terminated. That is as far as I understand.”
Janelle Chanona
“Where do you go from here? What’s the next step in this process? What are you building to and what is the next step?
Dylan Reneau
“Well we have a right to decide where this goes next. I can’t state that to the public now, but we are meeting and we are doing what we need to do. That’s all I will say.”
Janelle Chanona
“Any other message to the public?”
Dylan Reneau
“Really and truly, the next round will be the public awareness. We know that without the public’s support really this will be very difficult for us to achieve our ends. So we are going to start to go countrywide to update people about the budget, about the violations of worker’s rights, union busting, about some of the other issues, the D.F.C. Commission of Inquiry et cetera and try to get people to understand why we are taking this stand and why they need to join us.”
The terrible images of the Budget Debate 2005 still haunt Independence Hill and even though the frontline moved around the National Assembly building and relations between the unionists and law enforcement officials grew tense, in the end peace prevailed. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
The budget debate wrapped up at five-fifteen this evening.
