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On yesterday’s newscast Channel 5’s News Director Stewart Krohn presented the results of his investigation into the redistricting exercise currently being conducted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission. His conclusion was that the recommendations of the redistricting taskforce are clearly unconstitutional in that they give far too much representation to Belize District voters and too […]
Written on April 28, 2004 | Posted in
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Janelle Chanona “The history of Belize shows that it is a rare day when both of the nation’s major political parties actually agree on something…but it does happen. One instance was when the members of the National Assembly succeeded in raising their own salaries. Another–far more costly in constitutional terms–is about to be slipped past […]
Written on April 27, 2004 | Posted in
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It was vintage Dean Barrow and the United Democratic Party this afternoon as they staged a press conference to disclose details of the agreement that gave International Communication Corporation majority ownership of B.T.L. Armed with the thirty-page document, Barrow explained that the agreement essentially gives Jeffrey Prosser massive tax breaks and concessions that leave Belizean […]
Written on April 5, 2004 | Posted in
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After a succession of press releases demanding that government disclose the contents of its agreement with Innovative Communication Corporation for the sale of B.T.L., and a series of allegations that special concessions and guarantees were offered to the buyer, the United Democratic Party has upped the ante. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the U.D.P. […]
Written on March 25, 2004 | Posted in
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Depending on your political source the numbers will differ sharply, but the civilian consensus is that this morning, somewhere between three hundred and five hundred Belizeans took to the streets of Belize City and picketed the Prime Minister’s office to protest recent actions by government. Organised by the Opposition United Democratic Party, the demonstrators first […]
Written on March 3, 2004 | Posted in
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In related news, a U.D.P. press release again lambasted the government for excessive secrecy in its dealings with the sale of B.T.L. This time the opposition went beyond its previous charges to accuse G.O.B. of “facilitating talks” between Innovative Telecommunication Company and INTELCO with an eye to having I.C.C. purchase INTELCO after it buys B.T.L. […]
Written on March 3, 2004 | Posted in
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On Thursday, News 5 spoke with Minister of Finance Ralph Fonseca about the sale of Belize Telecommunications Limited and the status of the negotiations. Fonseca said that should the deal with the prospective new buyer, Jeffrey Prosser, drop through G.O.B. could either take the shares it bought from Carlisle to the market, or back to […]
Written on February 20, 2004 | Posted in
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He is a man known to routinely battle against long odds… and often beats them. Well, tonight Area Representative Anthony “Boots” Martinez is once again on the warpath, this time with the Lands Department and Ministry of Natural Resources. While Boots admits that in this instance the law may not be on his side, he […]
Written on February 19, 2004 | Posted in
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To say that the debate of the 2004-2005 budget was long, would be and understatement. The marathon session had parliamentarians from the lower house in Belmopan until twelve-thirty on Saturday morning, a full fourteen and a half hours after the meeting was called to order. But before the debate proper got underway with the response […]
Written on February 9, 2004 | Posted in
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He resigned from the United Democratic Party prior to the 2003 elections and mounted an independent campaign in the Pickstock Division. While that effort was ultimately unsuccessful, Wilfred Elrington made history by running well ahead of the official U.D.P. candidate. This week Elrington began what he hopes will be a long march to Belmopan as […]
Written on February 3, 2004 | Posted in
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Before Fonseca could even catch his breath after his hour-long narrative, Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow was already punching holes in the budget speech, saying it is riddled with deception. Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition “The fact that taxes are being increased, there is going to be an across the board increase in […]
Written on January 23, 2004 | Posted in
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And if it looks like the Prime Minister has his hands full, don’t worry, he’s about to get some very capable help. It was announced today that the Chief Executive Officer in the P.M.’s newly created Ministry of national Development will be none other than Dr. Carla Barnett. Barnett’s resume is as impressive as any […]
Written on January 21, 2004 | Posted in
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Two days after the Prime Minister’s Cabinet shuffle, or as he put it, “realignment”, reaction is emerging from all corners. Today, the man who many say lost the most took his turn at the mike. This afternoon, a calm and composed Jose Coye told News 5 that the new assignments are the Prime Minister’s prerogative, […]
Written on January 7, 2004 | Posted in
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In news from the first meeting of the new Cabinet, we are informed that the annual budget exercise is underway and the presentation in the House of Representatives is scheduled for Friday, January twenty-third, with the debate taking place on February sixth. The new financial year begins on the first of April. Also announced today […]
Written on January 7, 2004 | Posted in
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While the recent changes in Cabinet may have the appearance of a game of musical chairs, for Prime Minister Said Musa, they are the logical product of a desire to improve his government’s performance. This afternoon the P.M. explained to me just what was behind his decision. Prime Minister Said Musa “I saw the need, […]
Written on January 7, 2004 | Posted in
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Rumours of a Cabinet reshuffle have been making the rounds for weeks, but when the realignment of portfolios was announced today, it bore little resemblance to the various versions leaked by the players themselves. Ten out of the thirteen ministers were affected by today’s moves, with only Johnny Briceño, Ralph Fonseca, and Servulo Baeza untouched […]
Written on January 5, 2004 | Posted in
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The rumours have been making the rounds for weeks and confirmed in concept by the Leader of the Opposition at the last House meeting. But today Dean Barrow and the United Democratic Party took it one step further by offering explicit details of what it claims are government’s plans to facilitate the sale of controlling […]
Written on December 10, 2003 | Posted in
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It was a day of old and new on Independence Hill as the House of Representatives today finished up some pending business and welcomed a new member. News 5’s Patrick Jones has the view from the press gallery. John Saldivar, Area Representative, Cayo South “I, John Saldivar, do swear that I will bear true faith […]
Written on November 28, 2003 | Posted in
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While the passage of legislation through the House today was as exciting as watching the water drop from the building’s leaking roof, members of the opposition used the questions to ministers session to take government to task on issues ranging from the global to the local. Dean Barrow, Leader of Opposition “Will the Minister of […]
Written on November 28, 2003 | Posted in
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It is the biggest electoral division in the country, with almost nine thousand people registered to vote, almost seven percent of the entire voting population, and a traditional People’s United Party stronghold. But with the death of Area Representative Agripino Cawich in August, his vacated seat became a battle ground for power, pitting Cawich’s son […]
Written on October 30, 2003 | Posted in
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The result is not going to change the balance of power in Belmopan, but an opposition victory in today’s Cayo South by-election will halt the P.U.P.’s unprecedented electoral roll and inject the U.D.P. with a dose of momentum that it badly needs to regain national credibility in the wake of its massive March fifth defeat. […]
Written on October 29, 2003 | Posted in
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Today was nomination day in the Cayo South constituency, where the P.U.P.’s Joaquin Cawich will seek to take over the seat formerly held by his father, the late Pino Cawich. Seeking to thwart those plans is the U.D.P.’s John Saldivar. Over the weekend News 5’s Patrick Jones spent some time with Saldivar and his team […]
Written on October 14, 2003 | Posted in
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And in his role as Leader of the Opposition, Dean Barrow today accused the Chief Elections Officer of cutting off voter registration in Cayo South too soon. According to a United Democratic Party release late this afternoon, the decision to use September tenth as the deadline for registration to vote in the upcoming by-election should […]
Written on October 7, 2003 | Posted in
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It was among the closest races in the March general elections, and in the by-election to be held in Cayo South at the end of the month, neither party is conceding anything. Over the weekend News 5’s Patrick Jones accompanied People’s United Party candidate Joaquin Cawich as he campaigned with some powerful company…and files the […]
Written on October 6, 2003 | Posted in
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It’s official: Wednesday, October twenty-ninth is the date set for the by-election in Cayo South. Today, Governor General Sir Colville young signed the paperwork naming October fourteenth as Nomination Day and the twenty-ninth as election day. Joaquin Cawich will be running for the People’s United Party, while John Saldivar received the nod as the United […]
Written on September 29, 2003 | Posted in
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