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 […]
Twenty-six-year-old Joshua Gallego was shot on Thursday afternoon; hours later, he succumbed at the K.H.M.H. While the matter was under investigation, the question is if Gallego’s past had caught up with him. A lone gunman inside a vehicle fired at Gallego as he dropped his girlfriend in the North Creek area. News Five’s Isani Cayetano […]
The murder trial of Patrick Castillo, who was charged with the murder of his stepson Yontan Maderos, ended today in the court of Justice Colin Williams. Castillo now awaits a ruling as to whether or not he acted in self-defense or if it was cold-blooded murder when he chopped up Maderos at their Kut Avenue […]
A B.D.F. soldier was before the court today on a charge of wounding, but his common-law wife later requested no further court action against him. But twenty-six-year-old soldier, Leroy Clare will appear before the Belize Family Court within the next five days where his common-law wife has asked for a restraining order. This morning, the […]
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 […]
Amid the ongoing saga of Atlantic International Bank Limited and the winding down of its operations in Belize, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, on the advice of the Central Bank, has formally canceled its banking license. The revocation follows a number of measures taken by the Central Bank, including enhanced supervision of AIBL’s performance, as well […]
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 […]
