The Senate met today and we will come to all the debate on the Belize Territorial Referendum Bill 2019. But first in the course of the debate, Senator Eamon Courtenay dropped a bolt from the blue to add to the cries of the politicization of the I.C.J. referendum campaign. While the P.U.P. and U.D.P. have […]
Senator Courtenay went on to expose what seems to be a clear misuse of Tamai’s post as Chief Elections Officer. Eamon Courtenay, Lead P.U.P. Senator “What was wrong was that because Mr. Bradley is a well-known member of the United Democratic Party his complaint to you seemed to have been given special significance. Ms. […]
While all that information was revealed in the Senate, this evening, Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai responded to the claims contained in the letter by attorney and former U.D.P. Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley. Tamai was not able to share the specific contents of the case because the matter is before the Public Service Commission. […]
In the letter, Bradley, on behalf of Jerrylyn Bruce accuses Tamai of political victimization and demands that it cease immediately. Bruce who has been transferred to the central office and given new responsibilities is also demanding that she be reassigned to her post in the field so that she is able to do her job. […]
The Chief Elections Officer also responded to the assertion that the Naboo Online System has an automatic feature of trying to correct itself and deleting any duplication instead of flagging them for correction. The Naboo System is an online programme, which collects all applications, but the issue that is highlighted in the letter is that […]
A vote by division in the Senate came shortly after four o’clock this afternoon following passage on Friday of the Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum Bill 2019. The vote ended in a strong yes: there was one abstention, four no’s and eight voted in favour. The Senate then recessed for committee meeting to fix all the […]
Government, in its media blitz, continues to put forward that Belize has an ironclad case should the territorial claim with Guatemala be taken to the I.C.J. for resolution. But the question on the minds of many is the likelihood, however remote, that Belize can in fact lose at the International Court of Justice. It’s a […]
Back to the debate in the Senate. Last Friday, the former PM Said Musa voted to abstain in the House on the same referendum bill. That position happened again in the Senate when P.U.P. Senator Valerie Woods abstained on the Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum Bill, as the only opposition parliamentarian to do so in the […]
The social partners added to the debate on the new referendum bill. While the N.G.O. senator Osmany Salas voted yes, Trade Unionist Elena Smith raised several concerns relating to the bill, as well as the move to referendum, but at the end of the day she voted against the legislation. Here’s what she said. […]
While there were various reasons given by the senators on why to or not to support the new referendum bill, Senator Ashley Rocke gave his perspective on behalf of the churches. Here is what he had to say. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator “We’ve also said that the next problem seems to be re-registration. There […]
Going into the weekend, there was a report on a sixteen-year-old who went missing at sea during a trip to South Water Caye. Last Monday, Frederick Lammey Juniour went on a fishing trip, but soon later began exhibited erratic behaviour, which caused concern to his cousin and others who were out on the island. On […]
A new housing project was launched over the weekend that presents exciting opportunities to prospective homeowners. The “Eagle Jem Estate” is located just outside Belize City. It is by the Holy Redeemer Credit Union and in its first phase, sixty-seven properties are ready. Qualifying member owners can choose between two or three bedroom houses through […]
Casting call for the next Miss Belize got underway this weekend and will continue online. While beauty is an integral part, the Miss Universe Belize Director says inner confidence is huge in the selection of the new Miss Belize. Duane Moody was the Bliss for the first casting call that attracted a good number of […]
A new referendum bill was introduced and taken through all its three stages in the House of Representatives. The special sitting started after ten this morning and continued well into the evening. Debate was robust, at times emotional and even produced an abstention from former prime minister Said Musa, an individual rare vote hardly taken […]
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 […]
