PM on separation of powers amidst Cayo citizens’ demands
Dean Barrow
This coming Thursday, businesses in Cayo will be closing down in protest of recent murders and other violence in the district. The B.N.T.U. Cayo branch late this afternoon said it will be cancelling classes in solidarity with organizers of the shutdown. Twenty-two primary and high schools will be getting time of to participate in Thursday’s activities, which also include a torch run by UB, Galen and Sacred Heart High School. Prime Minister Dean Barrow met with members of various interest groups, following a protest on Monday. The demonstrators called upon PM Barrow to address a series of concerns plaguing their communities, primarily the increasing crime rate, as well as the failing justice system. Along with several demands is the removal of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lyn Vidal and the withholding of bail for sexual offences. The Prime Minister told News Five today that the D.P.P. is an independent constitutional appointment.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I met with the leaders of the movement or certainly some representatives of the larger grouping. We had, I thought, a very constructive session. I completely sympathize with the rationale for the movement. In terms of the specific requests that were made, there are some of them that can be done and others can‘t. Those requests, those petitions included the removal of the Director of Public Prosecutions, no bail for persons charged with sexual offences. Things like that which really are beyond the ability of the government. Let‘s deal with the question of the D.P.P. The D.P.P. is a constitutional position. The security of tenure of that office is guaranteed and the independence from any kind of directive from the executive or any kind of interference is also enshrined in the constitution. So I tried to explain that to the people with whom I met. Similarly, we can make conditions over the grant of bail as stringent as possible but it’s not possible to say that bail can never be given. If a magistrate denies bail on the occasion of somebody coming before him or her charged with a sexual offence and then the person is remanded and then the case keep coming up and the case takes long before it is actually presented. The magistrate can’t justify bail forever. So there were some very understandable misconceptions that were fundamental and I think we were able to talk through those. When it came to the more practical stuff—the petition for Santa Elena to have its own police station. That is always something that can be considered, but I can’t get up tomorrow and say the government will fund a police station in Santa Elena. That will be considered in the context of the next budget and appropriate funding. They asked for the police in that area to be better equipped; they spoke particularly about vehicles and I’ve promised immediately to help with that.”
A leader finds a solution. Hon. PM Barrow is no leader and never has been.
Constitutions can be changed — PM Barrow is expert at changing them in dubious ways for specious reasons, isn’t he clever enough to find a solution for a real and urgent problem? How many more people will be murdered because of his total disregard for the lives of innocent Belizeans?
The most important job of a government is to protect its citizens and guarantee security, and this government is utterly failing. It has no legitimate reason to exist, in fact.
read between the lines, the grand educated thug Dean Barrow says, I me the people, talked to them and left without fulfiling any of their demand.
Bealizaen wake up , this thug gave 1million ,500 thousnad to his own law firm, from your money, and says he must look in the budget for a police station.
What a useless pm I only hope unu people Ina cayo Neva believe one word out a this pm mouth because if he the talk he the lie first of all he has changed. Any law he didn’t like so him saying he cannot move or fire the dpp is a big fat lie and I wouldn’t take that at all it sounds to me hat he didn’t do anything that unu mi want done so I would come together with the business community and shut down for a week and I can bet you that he would change his tune because of his failed policies your children and family members are being murdered raped and being taken gross advantage of.
Let’s separate Barrow from the power that we entrusted to him and enshrined in the Constitution. We want this DPP removed and now. Don’t be stupid Barrow! The office is not independent per se. Who signs her pay cheque? Barrow and his double talk and obfuscation at work again. One thing is clear, We have no confidence in Barrow and his regime.
the answer truly is the this gov. and barrow sucksssss. we’re tired of hearing sweet talks from politicians who live with security service 24 hrs while we work our @$$ to survive and pay tax so he can live like a king and when one of us die because of crime he’s like who cares while he’s o.k
Make sure everything is recorded & televised and sent to Human Rights & US so they can see what a FAILURE BARROW is. This should be enough evidence to force him out of power like they have done with MIDDLE EAST.
@ marie- we’ve started the movement in Cayo. We need the support of the entire Belizean community, however. This is a problem affecting all the country and although very slowly, Belizeans are finally opening their eyes. The wheels have started turning in cayo and soon..very soon government will realize WE THE PEOPLE have the power. WE PUT YOU THERE AND WE HAVE THE POWER TO BRING YOU DOWN AND THIS WILL HAPPEN-
there you go my fellow cayenos ! keep voting for this PM .fi we country going to R@#$$!! Record and keep it in file what i di seh wait for elections come by and play this back again to him when he come beg fi u vote …Open unu eyes cayo has been red always but this is ridiculos we need a new goverment I no Vote fu no one all dem lie with a str8 face !! WE NEED FI HANG DEM DOGS AND DISPLAY DEM IN FRONT OF POLICE STATION TO SET AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE DIRTBAGS! LAWD MEK I GO DRINK MY PILLS FI MI HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE MIEN!
In who’s ability is it to REMOVE the D.P.P. ?????????????????????????????????
If its not you Mr. Barrow, please tell us? You know what Mr Barrow? You have bad, very bad, social skills. If somebody asks you something, you answer fully!! Not just say you cant do it, and leave it at that!!
BOOTS Martinez gave away 250 thousand dollars,of our money SSB gave away 100 thousand dollars of taxpayers money for a pet project of Kim Simpliss-Barrow. and now SEDI tell cayo People that government does not have 500,thousand to set up a DNA forensics lab. da fool di tak but dah no fool di lissn.
They showed us how to clean out corrupt government in the Arab Spring, protests organized by computers and cellphones, often led by students.
In most cases, the security forces refused to use violence to suppress the protests, and in many cases the soldiers joined the protests. In a small country like the Jewel, that would surely occur.
I think we need a “Belize Spring” — or better and sooner, maybe a “Belize Autumn.”
Things can only get worse the longer that we are led by this PM.
No government (blue & red) have #@!!$ to fight crime. They love people being in poverty because you are dependent on them. That is the reason for having weekly clinics. They have turned us to beggars.. begging them to pay our bills, buy our grocerys, etc… We need to wake up and do the job ourselves – we know who the culprits/murderers are . To hell with the justice system/….. justice is in our hands.. lets start now or we will regret it later on.
@Rough, every word you say is correct. We need “Rough justice” here and now.
Agree with Rough, next time we see a crime in progress or we know who did it, lets deal with them ourselves and lets see if they will convict all of us 🙂
Imaginary man should have never opened his mouth in Cayo. If he is immune to crime in his constituency, that doesnt mean we in cayo should be too.
vehicles????are u frkn serious???jaja does this luk like a joke 2 u so called GOB???we don’t need more vehicles we need JUSTICE!n if uno can’t meet proper justice, we will!!!!Oh n 1 more tng, d prime minister shouldn’t be chosen if 1 party wins d most seats, an individual PM should be chosen by d people. Meaning dat people should elect a proper PM 2 guide d people w/ its light and so the people have the choice to elect a proper PM!
In other words YOU CANT DO NOTHING.