The Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum Bill, 2019 was described as a kneejerk reaction by the Opposition to two separate court rulings in a week. The P.U.P. pointed out that the new bill would not have come to the House if the Special Agreement was debated prior to it being signed back in 2008. But the […]
One of the main concerns expressed by the Opposition Party is Section Three of the referendum bill. That section states that “a referendum shall be held to enable electors to vote on whether the Government of Belize should, in accordance with the Special Agreement and the Protocol to the Special Agreement, request the International Court […]
Also weighing in on the heated debated today was the very vocal Lake Independence Area Representative, Cordel Hyde. Hyde, in responding to the tabling of the bill, broke down the opposition’s concerns to the common person on the street. Part of his presentation focused on the risks associated with taking the case before the I.C.J. […]
The claim that has been brought before the Supreme Court by the People’s United Party persists, despite the passage of a new piece of law which will allow government to proceed with an I.C.J. referendum in the coming weeks. During his presentation this afternoon, Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat, one of six claimants who […]
The House debate today provided a rare moment. Former Prime Minister Said Musa, who has been described as a ‘malignant tumor’ by the current government time and again in the House, today was praised for exhibiting ‘many of the qualities of a statesman.’ U.D.P. representatives lauded the former prime minister for his stance in supporting […]
On Thursday the European Union, the United States of America and the United Kingdom fired off a joint press release in which it voiced its support of holding a referendum. The release said that the “the referendum process is the route towards a peaceful dispute resolution agreed upon jointly by Belize and Guatemala.” The three […]
As the debate raged inside the National Assembly, supporters of the yes vote stood at Independence Hill where speakers were placed and police were out in numbers. They were there for hours to support the government which tabled and passed the new Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum Bill 2019. In their view, the referendum must be […]
There’s a fishy story coming out of Dangriga where a sixteen-year-old minor went missing at sea during a trip to South Water Caye on Monday. According to Jael Sjogren, a fisherman of Dangriga, his cousin, Frederick Lammey Junior, and another unnamed individual, accompanied him to the island. While on the fishing trip, the teenager reportedly […]
Back in December, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust awarded six point seven million dollars to support improved management of thirteen protected areas across the Belize National Protected Areas System. Earlier this week, they awarded another two point seven million dollars in grants to six local environmental N.G.O.s as a part of the second phase of […]
Seventy-eight alcaldes from across thirty-nine Maya villages participated in a training workshop spearheaded by the Attorney General’s Office today. The session served to inform them of their roles and responsibilities under the Alcaldes Jurisdiction Act. Immediately thereafter, the alcaldes swore their oath of office as administrators of law in their respective communities. In the months […]
The Belize International Film Festival will be held in November of this year and this week they opened the call for film makers to submit their film to participate in the showcase. Today, Director of the Film and Media Arts Unit of the Institute of Creative Arts Suzette Zayden issued a call for entries for […]
The Miss Universe Belize Organization is looking for the next beauty ambassador to represent the Jewel on the international stage. Last December, twenty-seven-year-old Jenelli Frazer graced the stage in Bangkok, Thailand, making Belize proud after its 2016 bout with Dangriga beauty, Rebecca Rath. But it’s coming around to that time again as the search commences […]
Were it not for the stunning results of well-timed legal hurdles placed in the way of government, Belizeans across the country would have been anxiously anticipating the results of a referendum this evening, having voted Yes or No to go to the International Court of Justice. An interim injunction granted by the Chief Justice a […]
As the House prepares to meet on Friday and the Senate on Monday, it is still not clear what specifically government will be doing to ‘fix’ the problem that was flagged by the Supreme Court in respect of the writ of referendum. Attorneys for the government are said to be busy drafting legislation, which when […]
Commissioner Chester Williams concluded a countrywide tour of the police department in Belize City this morning where he met with officers of all ranks to discuss their wellbeing as men and women of law enforcement. Coming out of that session is a dire need for a recruitment of additional officers since there are emerging and […]
So what becomes of the monies that the Police Association has been collecting from its membership over the years? Officers often fall sick and, in some cases, pass away without receiving financial assistance from the department. ComPol Williams has suggested that those funds be offered as grants to paying members of the association to help […]
There’s a proposal on the table for long-serving police officers to be able to purchase land at a reduced cost if they are doing so for the first time. It’s an initiative that will be fielded to the Minister of Natural Resources to make land acquisition in each of the six districts possible for officers […]
Cabinet met late this afternoon at the prime minister’s office here in Belize City, a departure from its usual meeting place at the Sir Edney Cain Building in Belmopan. High on the agenda was government’s strategy going forward in respect of the postponed referendum, ahead of a scheduled House meeting this Friday. But what’s the […]
The Prime Minister also told News Five that he had received correspondence from Opposition Leader John Briceño. Briceño is requesting that the PM calls off a meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for this Friday. The PM scoffed at the suggestion that government should now meet with the opposition to discuss a delay, since […]
With all the new developments in the referendum debacle and a legal prescription to fix what’s wrong with the existing act, a new date for Belizeans to go to the polls remains to be set. Prime Minister Barrow, this evening, flatly dismissed the notion that the Constitution of Belize be amended in order to hold […]
Opposition Leader John Briceño this evening released a prerecorded video statement responding to the ruling of the Court of Appeal and remarks made by Prime Minister Dean Barrow following that ruling. Briceño did not touch on his recent letter to P.M. Barrow, but rejected statements that the PM attributed to him while defending the judiciary […]
On the heels of two consecutive losses in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, the government is convening a sitting of the House of Representatives this Friday to fix the problem that led to the postponement of Wednesday’s referendum. The government appeared to be caught flat footed by the decision of the courts. […]
Following the decision of the Court of Appeal on Monday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the nation that he has no doubt that the I.C.J. referendum will be held no later than six to eight weeks from the originally scheduled date. That matter goes to the House on Friday. During that period, the government will […]
The Chief Justice’s decision to grant an interim injunction, effectively putting a stop to the I.C.J. referendum on April tenth, threw a wrench in the Barrow’s administration I.C.J. plans. The CJ’s ruling was a legal blow to the government, sending them back to the drawing board. Aside from pointing fingers at the CJ, the PM […]
It has been an active couple of months for the country as it relates to the I.C.J. referendum. Things first got into motion with the signing of the 2008 Special Agreement, but it really kicked off when the government announced April tenth, 2019 as the day when Belizeans would make the very important vote. Well […]
