This Saturday the U.D.P. will hold a special meeting to determine the date of a convention to elect the first deputy party leader. Both Ministers Patrick Faber and John Saldivar are campaigning for the post which is likely to determine who will be the next leader of the United Democratic Party following the retirement of […]
Minister Saldivar claims he has the numbers on his side and so does Minister Patrick Faber who has received major endorsements for first deputy party leader of the U.D.P. Faber’s deputy, Elodio Aragon says he is not shying away from the fact that he is endorsing his boss. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State, Ministry […]
Deputy Party Leader Gaspar Vega tendered his letter of resignation to the United Democratic Party Secretariat on March eighth, informing that he will not be contesting his seat in Orange Walk North for a fourth time. The unexpected decision came as a bombshell, just a few weeks ahead of the U.D.P.’s endorsement convention which was […]
Gapi’s abrupt notice of retirement has left many to speculate whether his removal from the second most powerful government ministry, the Ministry of Natural Resources, is indeed the catalyst for his departure. There is also speculation that the sudden announcement succeeded a fallout over his transfer to the Ministry of Agriculture, which is widely seen […]
In the wake of Vega’s abrupt retirement, a national party council meeting will be held on Saturday to determine the date of a special convention in the coming months to choose his successor. Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber was first to throw his hat in the ring, followed shortly thereafter by Belmopan Area Rep John […]
On last night’s newscast we showed you an undecided Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, senior U.D.P. Minister who says he’s not quite ready to come public with who he supports for First Deputy Leader of the Party. Best reports are that he is leaning away from his Southside colleague Patrick Faber and looking West at John Saldivar. […]
This Saturday, the United Democratic Party will hold a special national party council meeting to determine the date for a convention to elect a new first deputy leader. The post became vacant after Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega announced on March eighth that he was stepping down as deputy leader of the U.D.P. Since then, […]
For the past two weeks, the National Assembly has been occupied with the annual budget which came into effect today. The fiscal plan has been presented and carefully taken apart in the House of Representatives and the Senate. But, while all attention was focused on the Revenue Appropriation Bill, less emphasis was seemingly placed on […]
The purpose of the proposed pieces of law is unclear since Minister Hulse has full powers. Courtenay surmises, however, that it may be one of two reasons: either to give rise to a junior minister with special powers or to create one minister of state with extraordinary capabilities. Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Senator “I said […]
There is more from the Senate other that the budget debate that provide for interesting moments from senators on both sides of the floor. In her budget presentation, Doctor Carla Barnett, a former financial secretary, contextualized the role of the senate in respect of the annual budget. She says that the senate has no influence […]
Doctor Barnett’s perspective on an elected Senate was not lost on lead Opposition Senator Eamon Courtenay. While Courtenay fully agrees with Barnett, he maintains that it is the U.D.P. government, to whom she belongs, that is preventing the election of senators. Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Senator “I think most people in the senate and those […]
Government has come under fire for failing to consult with the Opposition and the social partners during the process of putting together the annual 2016/2017 budget. All, with the exception of the U.D.P. senators, agreed and were vocal that the Barrow administration should have sought input from the various organizations when drafting the financial plan. […]
Failure to meet with social partners and the Opposition on the budget is a point of concern that has been raised in the senate and seasoned parliamentarian Eamon Courtenay. Even as he led the charge in voicing that displeasure, he found common ground with Barnett on the need to consult. Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Senator […]
In news of a political nature, the U.D.P. convention for a first deputy party leader will be held in June or July. Minister of Education Patrick Faber at the launch of his candidacy received the endorsement of senior colleagues in the U.D.P. and other newcomers to his party. Today, we asked Minister Omar Figueroa who […]
The debate on the 2016/2017 budget ran the full two days allocated in the House, and was closed with the Prime Minister’s presentation at around eight on Wednesday night. For the most part, with some notable exceptions, the lengthy session was civil, a call that had been made by leader of the Opposition John Briceño […]
But the PM reserved special insult for Cayo South Representative Julius Espat. In his presentation Espat played on the Old English definition of barrow which he claimed referred to a castrated pig. Barrow claims that while he expects nothing different from Espat, he could not leave those comments unremarked. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “The […]
And then to the budget for the fiscal year 2016/2017! Starting with the leader of the Opposition, members on that side of the gallery claimed that based on all relevant statistics, the economy was in a recession, and the so-called stability budget was only a rhetorical farce. Prime Minister Barrow lashed back, accusing the Opposition […]
A major plank of the Opposition’s debate in the House was agriculture. They pointed to situations in the papaya, shrimp, citrus, sugar and banana and put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Government. Orange Walk South Area Representative Jose Mai led the charge on that front, blaming government’s inattention and neglect on what he […]
Prime Minister Barrow says that criticism is unfair based on the many factors which are completely out of government’s control. Additionally, he states that any claim that his administration has neglected the agro-productive sector is untrue, since it is this administration which has done the most for stakeholders in that sector. Prime Minister Dean […]
We close tonight’s coverage of the 2016/2017 budget debate with something we’ve hardly before been privileged to witness. The sessions in the House are always confrontational and testy, often hostile and very personal. But on Wednesday, the usually acerbic U.D.P. Whip and representative of Mesopotamia Michael Finnegan was nothing but love. Finnegan maintained throughout the […]
Day-two of the budget debate started promptly at nine this morning. All eyes have been on the representative for Orange Walk North, Gaspar Vega. In the biggest political news of this time, Vega resigned abruptly as first Deputy Leader on March eighth. He wrote to the Party Chairman and copied his resignation to the Prime […]
There has been rampant speculation that Vega’s resignation is a result of the Ministry of Lands being removed from him after general elections of November fourth, 2015. One very popular trend of thought is that frustrated by the loss of stature within the Party, Vega wanted to send a very strong message to the Prime […]
Representative for Caribbean Shores Kareem Musa had one of the longest and one of the most passionate presentations of day-two of the budget debate. In his first budget presentation, Musa turned his attention on the legal fees contained in this document, and budgets past, claiming that tens of millions have gone to three select lawyers […]
Musa also turned up the heat on Belize Telemedia Limited, nationalized by the government in 2009. While the government touts this acquisition in consecutive budgets as one of the stellar achievements of its time, Musa claimed in his presentation that perhaps the company should be renamed BPL, or Barrow Pinata Limited. Kareem Musa, Area […]
During the first day of the budget debate, which broke Tuesday evening at around six o’clock, Opposition members in the gallery condemned the budget as pure rhetoric, and claimed that it is a not so clever attempt to mask the fact that Belize is in the midst of a recession. One of the last to […]
