Espat?s governance speech sparks political pot-shots

Speaking on matters closer to home, this morning Courtenay also commented on Thursday’s Reform and Governance speech by Minister of National Development Mark Espat.

Eamon Courtenay
?To be quite honest with you I haven?t seen the speech. In fact I just spoke to Mark on my way over here, and he said that he had sent me a copy of it, so I am going to read his speech. What I saw on the news, I think we are to seriously consider. I would prefer to say that at this stage I haven?t read his speech. I?ve heard a lot of people characterizing it but I know or I think I know where Mark Espat is coming from. Mark Espat wants us to us push reform, wants us to have a stronger democracy in Belize. The specifics of what he said, I don?t know but if those are the things he is talking about then certainly I would associate myself with them.?

In a press release issued today, the United Democratic Party publicly dismissed Espat’s address as “simply more of the same…grandstanding with absolutely no chance of concrete action” and “more evidence of the continuing instability of this government and the Prime Minister’s failure to maintain any leadership or discipline over his ministers.” The release goes as far as calling Espat’s suggestion of constitutional amendment to place limits on government spending as “stolen from the U.D.P”. During the semi annual general meeting of the B.T.I.A., Minister Espat challenged his government to impose several new measures including campaign finance reform, an elected senate, term limits for legislators and further tax reform.