President of the senate challenges the constitution

Lisa Shoman

On that undignified note the session ended. Shoman’s point of order was that President of the Senate Mark Pech did not have the constitutional right to cast a vote. In that event the vote would be deadlocked at six six. But as far as the government is concerned the motion was defeated seven to six because the President ignored the point of order. Leader of Government Business Minister Godwin Hulse called for an adjournment of the session. Senator Shoman pointed out the section in the Constitution which was being contravened, but nobody on the government side was listening. Opposition Senator Lisa Shoman isn’t amused, and says she will go to court if she has to, to ensure that the record of the vote is accurate.

Lisa Shoman, Opposition Senator

“In this matter the constitution is clear; the president does not have a casting vote whenever it comes to any matter relating to section sixty-one AD which is exactly what we were dealing with today. It had better be recorded that it was deadlock because if the hands erred reflects that there were seven votes I am prepared to go to court to clear the hands erred because the president does not have a vote when it come to matters dealing with section sixty-one AD of the Constitution.”

Today News Five checked out the relevant section in the Constitution of Belize. Section sixty-one three states that, quote – “The President of the Senate shall have a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes in respect of any business at a meeting of the Senate: Provided that if the President of the Senate is not a Senator, he shall not have a vote, when the Senate is deciding on any matter referred to in section sixty-one A (two) (d) of this Constitution” – unquote. Section sixty-one A (two) (d) refers specifically to investigation and inquiry by a committee of the Senate. This afternoon we spoke to Clerk of the National Assembly Eddie Webster. He told us that the decision stands and the vote will be recorded as seven to six. Webster offered us an analogy, stating that if a judge in a courtroom makes a decision it is final, even if it is a wrong decision.