Is there support for a senate-led investigation into the passport scandal?

Dylan Reneau

The senate will meet this Wednesday in Belmopan when opposition senator, Lisa Shoman, will present a motion calling for s senate select committee to investigate the passport and visa scandals. That motion is garnering the support of various organizations, including the trade unions, the Council of Churches and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The decision for the N.T.U.C.B. to endorse an investigation by the upper house is the consequence of an overwhelming lack of confidence that, save for the auditor general’s inquiry, other investigations will yield the expected results.  Secondly, the unions would not be able to protest the minister’s decision to sign or refrain from signing nationality certificates if, for whatever reasons, they do not see eye to eye with him.

Dylan Reneau, President, N.T.U.C.B.

“We are going to support the calling of the senate for that senate select investigation.  We had a discussion on it and we’ve galvanized our position because we don’t believe that we’ll get the level of reporting to the nation from these investigations, except for the auditor general because she would have to send a report up to the house.  So we are going to support that.  The other aspect is this National Scrutinizing Committee, our participation isn’t based on whether we get the information, it’s based on what is going to be the thrust of this committee and one of the stumbling block right now, when we met with the minister he told us categorically and point blank that we cannot corral a minister.  So the point was made that even though we have this National Scrutinizing Committee, if they make a recommendation to, let’s say, agree that William will be a citizen of Belize and it goes up to the minister and the minister says, I noh agree with that, William noh wahn be no citizen, he can not sign.  Or it can be the inverse where we agree that William is not going to be because William has this record or something else and the minister can decide well, I want William to be a citizen of Belize so I can sign and that way he is legitimized as a citizen.  Now we are saying that we don’t believe that we want to be a part of that situation because that could lead to that same corrupt situation that we currently have.  Well the minister said that there are certain safeguards in that the certificate has three signatories, one for the director, one for the minister and one for a representative from this scrutinizing committee.  But the reality is that that spawns some even further discussion because the scrutinizing committee has four government representatives and the three social partners.  Will decisions be made by the majority?  If it’s majority then four over three.  Who will sign the certificate, will it be somebody from the government or one of the social partners?”

The senate meeting is expected to be interesting for many reasons. First, before he was in government, Godwin Hulse openly supported and chaired a senate investigation into loans granted by S.S.B.  Government, at this time, is not in support of an investigation. Second, Hulse is the lead senator for government business and the investigation will be focused on the passport scandal which unfolded under Hulse’s watch. As far as the numbers go, there are twelve senators: six appointed by the government, three on behalf of the opposition and three representing social partners. If there is a deadlock, then the President of the senate can cast a vote. And that person is appointed by the government.