Former P.U.P. leader, John Briceño joined attended meeting
Joining the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the visit to Washington was former Leader of the Opposition John Briceño. While the People’s United Party has not presented a formal position on the matter of the joint referenda, Briceño says that they have commenced a series of consultations among regional executives of the party.
John Briceño, Member, Belize Delegation to O.A.S.
John Briceño
“The People’s United Party has not taken a position as yet. What we have done is that we have started a series of consultations whereby we are going through our four caucuses, the northern caucus, southern caucus, western caucus and the eastern caucus, whereby we’ve prepared documents and information and doing actual presentations to these caucuses. And we expect that shortly the national executive will meet to take a formal position. I think that it was certainly positive. I was pleasantly surprised by the position that the OAS took. They were insisting with Guatemala that we need to have this referendum and that it must be done jointly or simultaneously, that whenever Belize has the referendum they should also have their referendum in Guatemala. Guatemala’s position has been of late that they need more time, they want to have a yes vote and they feel that their not going to be ready for October sixth. So it was agreed that Belize is going to be meeting at the OAS General Assembly in Guatemala to have further discussions to see if and where they can come up with another date that will be worked jointly for both countries.”
Of note is that Guatemala had initially requested that Belize changes its Referendum Act to do away with the sixty percent threshold for voter turnout necessary to certify the vote.
This is proof positive of PUDP collusion on this issue.
Let’s be real. Guatemala reneged on the mutually agreed upon date. Instead of the GOB and the Opposition standing in Belizean unity and letting the OAS know that Guatemala’s intransigence shall not be tolerated, both the PUP and the UDP caved in.
In sum, Guatemala continues to manipulate matters, the OAS allows them to and Belize’s representatives continue to cow to the DEMANDS of the Guatemalans.
Don’t take your eyes off of the situation because in due course, the Guatemalans will be allowed to impose their will on our “so-called leaders” and their DEMAND for a change to our referendum act will also be facilitated.
This is a damn shame and if people are unwilling to take off their “red” and “blue” lenses and recognise the treacherous path these people intend to take us, then I presume there may very well be little hope for Belizeans to move beyond politics as usual and ultimately see that BELIZE is being taken for a ride.
Its time for our people to wake up. There is no justifiable reason for the government, with the support of the Opposition, to have let Guatemala off the hook! By most accounts, based on what is transpiring before our eyes, it appears as though both parties are hell-bent on playing the submissive role to our neighbour to the West.
Let it be known that despite what perceived power the acknowledged principles believe they may have, the true power shall be manifest once the people of this nation let them know in no uncertain terms, that we are fed up with their shenanigans.
Based on what this article describes, I am almost certain the Guatemalans are having a very hearty laugh at our spineless representatives.
Belize, Sovereign and Free – NO ICJ!
You said it perfectly, Paco Smith.
The Guats themselves have said — it’s mentioned in this news item — that they don’t want to have a vote until they know they will get the result they want.
As Stalin said, “It doesn’t matter who votes. What matters is who counts the votes.”