P.U.P. will outline for or against ICJ during education campaign

Francis Fonseca

Both the ruling United Democratic Party and the People’s United Party will play a vital role in the education process of the public regarding the history of the dispute and the various ways that the matter could be settled. What is not yet clear is the positions of the local political parties on this historic referendum. OAS Secretary General, Miguel Angel Insulza, met with the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Belmopan. He also met with Francis Fonseca, the Leader of the Opposition, in Belize City in his whirlwind visit. News Five spoke to Fonseca who outlined the party’s internal process to a final determination on the ICJ.

Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition

“The national executive of the People’s United Party met several months ago to discuss this very important issue and at that meeting the national executive unanimously agreed that the P.U.P. would continue to with its long established history of engaging and participating with the government on the Belize/Guatemala Issue. And we would participate fully in the public awareness campaign regarding the question of whether or not Belize should go to the International Court of Justice. That campaign, as we understand it, is to start in January of next year here in Belize. So we are committed to being actively and fully participating in that public education campaign. We, the national executive of the party, has also agreed that we will conduct our own internal, in-house, public education campaign—meaning our public education campaign for our members and supporters of the party. We feel that that is an obligation that we need to fulfill and a duty and responsibility we have as the opposition to educate our own membership fully on the pros and cons of this very serious question. At the end of this public education period, we will then meet again as a national executive and make a determination on whether or not the party will endorse a particular vote in respect of going to the ICJ. Whether we will endorse as a party voting yes to go to the ICJ or whether we will endorse as a party voting no to go to the ICJ. Or whether in fact we will simply say to our members and supporters [that] this is a very serious matter and it is a matter of conscience and you should vote your conscience as individuals on this very critical issue. So that is where we are; our own internal public education campaign will start next year as well.”

Fonseca says that the P.U.P. will have a clear position on the ICJ several months before the referendum date.