Official Independence program moved to Belmopan
The September celebrations are only a few weeks away. But the plans are already underway for this year’s celebration. There was a one-liner minor mention in Tuesday’s cabinet press release that promises a major change in the tradition of the celebrations. The major difference is that the official Independence Day program will be held in Belmopan, not Belize City as is the norm. There is a one year transition of the secretariat of the Celebrations Committee from the Belize Tourism Board to the National Institute of Culture. NICH director, Diane Haylock, explained today how the new format would work and why she believes it won’t have much effect on the old capital’s own program.
Diane Haylock, President
“Since St. Georges Caye was the first capital, in a sense we then have these three capitals; St. Georges Caye, Belize City and Belmopan. So why not symbolically take the opening of the celebrations to St. George’s Caye and we would at the same time declare St. Georges Caye a historical site because that research project is now underway. We would create more awareness that this was the first capital of the country, which is something perhaps many of our children and many of our people don’t know. We would open there so we would go out on the first of September when the celebrations open, do that there in the afternoon and then we would do the official tenth celebrations or the official tenth ceremony in Belize City as well as the citizens parade. And the flag raising, we would also do in Belize City. And that is more logistical reasons and the fact that the flag was raised here in Belize City. And then we would take the official Independence Day ceremony and parade to the current capital of the country, Belmopan.”
Jose Sanchez
“People are used to tradition. What would that mean since the parade was centered on Belize City? What does it mean for everyone else who participated from this end?”
Diane Haylock
“What it means Jose, what has happened in the past is that while these national official events were taking place in Belize City, all the municipalities across the length and breadth of the country organized their official ceremonies. So what it basically means that Belize City will be organizing an official ceremony and parade as well and this will be under the responsibility of the Belize City Council.”
Haylock said that the committee is considering asking schools from each district to send a symbolic delegation to the national ceremony in the Capital.
