In a matter of hours today, government passed new legislation to re-nationalize Belize Telemedia Limited. The controversial move was coupled with the pronouncement that Government would go further by seeking to pass an additional constitutional amendment that would ensure that government owns a majority stake in utilities. Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s move to rush the […]
But back to the business of the day; Prime Minister Dean Barrow, in his opening speech, admitted that the three Court of Appeals Judges declared that the nationalization law that the government passed in 2009 was unconstitutional, so they went back to fix the law. Dean Barrow “As Honorable Members know, the Court of Appeal […]
The new law would have to be tested once again in the court, adding to the growing number of legal challenges and proceedings that will have to be paid for by taxpayers. The recent court ruling, a declaratory judgment, proved that the first nationalization was null and void, for all intents and purposes, it never […]
The Prime Minister spoke at length of what the government would do about the country’s utility companies. In a bold statement, the PM made it clear that his vision for the country is one in which the government controls water, electricity and telecommunications. Barrow announced that he would amend the constitution again to entrench the […]
But Belize Electricity Limited, Telemedia, and Belize Water Services Limited are not the only utility providers. There is also SMART, the second telecommunications company and BECOL which, according to B.E.L.’s website, provided over fifty percent of the electricity generated for 2010. News Five asked the PM if these providers are also up for legislative consideration. […]
As you know, from very early the Chamber of Commerce took a position in respect of the process used for government’s acquisition of private property. They have raised the question of who will pay the hundreds of millions in costs to compensate the investors in B.T.L. and B.E.L. Will taxes have to go up? Will […]
The Prime Minister went at lengths to explain that the bill would fix defects in the 2009 acquisition law. The Court of Appeal found that government did not provide evidence to prove the acquisition for public purpose and in the renationalization the PM is gambling that he can now make the acquisition hold together. The […]
The new legislation does not yet have wide circulation. News Five spoke via phone to Godfrey Smith, attorney for Dean Boyce, who represents the Trusts that had majority shares in Telemedia. Although he only had opportunity for a cursory glance at the bill, Smith believes that there will be further litigation. Via Phone: Godfrey Smith, […]
Just before dark on Sunday, a resident of St. Matthews Village was bludgeoned to death. Orlando Rodriguez went to Frank’s Eddy Village to buy food when his troubles began. At a local restaurant, Rodriguez got into an altercation with another resident of St. Matthews and he was violently attacked. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani […]
In Magistrate Court today, three charges were read to nineteen year old Brian Vasquez who is accused of breaking into a house in Southside Belize City and trying to rape an eight year old. The teen appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer and pleaded not guilty to Attempted Rape, Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature […]
A family of nine, including three minors, was trooped to the Magistrate’s Court today where they appeared before Magistrate Aretha Ford to face ammunition related charges following the discovery of four rounds of live ammunition. A search of a residence on Neal’s Pen Road on Friday yielded the bullets which were hidden near a septic […]
The officers of the Gang Suppression Unit were in training for the past two weeks, but operations resumed over the past weekend. A search was conducted at the residence of thirty-six year old Delroy Barrow on Haynes Street. Barrow and babysitter, Carolyn Garoy were present at the time of the search and according to the […]
Now back to today’s House sitting. Marcel Cardona, the area representative for Orange Walk East, made a second appearance since he was dumped by the U.D.P. There was little debate in the House, but Cardona, now unaffiliated, was not quiet with his view on the re-nationalization. Call it unbridled emotion or whatever you like; Cardona […]
While Cardona abstained from the vote, there are results to a snap poll conducted over the past weekend by a British firm. A total of one hundred and fifty persons—eighty males and seventy females—participated in the survey and responded to nine statements ranging from the social state of the country to the nationalization of the […]
Last week, leading up to today’s sitting, the government made the point on the airwaves that it had the people’s support to re-acquire Telemedia and toward the end of the week, it publicly called its supporters to Belmopan. Transportation was made available but the turnout fell shorter than anticipated. The crowd was one of the […]
The following wasn’t a topic at today’s special sitting of the house, but it was worth some discussion with the Prime Minister. The tinting law was scheduled to come into effect on June first, but the Prime Minister indicated that there would be a one month extension, which should have afforded motorists sufficient time either […]
QUADS and the U.S Peace Corps are hosting a workshop on teaching Health and Family Life Education (HFLE). The workshop, which is being done in two phases, is seeking to train upper division teachers on health and life skills. According to the Peace Corps Programming & Specialist Trainers, the aim is to train some six […]
With less than two weeks into the summer holiday, a number of students are signing up for summer camps. The annual YWCA Summer Camp started today and there are spaces still available. Lisa Coleman of the YWCA says students have a wide number of activities to choose from. Lisa Coleman, Business Administrator, YWCA “Well every […]
Area Representative for Belize Rural North, Edmund “Clear the Land” Castro has been a lightening rod since he was elected in 2008. His office was broken into, a decapitated hog’s head was left on his desk, he lost three cabanas filled with fish feed in what he claims is suspected arson. But his fall from […]
Good evening, I’m James Adderley, welcome to this portion of Sports Monday. Week five of the Belize Bank’s Super League playoffs brought a further tightening of the screws inside the competition as all four teams remain with a shot at the finals going in. we caught up with the critical match up yesterday at the […]
