Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the National Assembly may make laws for the peace, order and good government of Belize. (Belize Constitution Section 68)
As Belizeans, we should have a clear understanding of the basic principles and structures of our representative parliamentary democracy, including our ‘fundamental rights’, ‘freedoms’ and ‘responsibilities’ as enshrined in the Constitution; and the subsidiary laws, as these are applicable to our national, municipal and rural governments.
As Belizeans, we should also understand our individual and collective responsibilities, considering that it is impossible for each of us to be direct and active participants in the daily running of the machinery of government.
We therefore go to the polls in national, municipal and rural elections to elect individuals whom we believe to be men and women of integrity and competence. In doing so, we give them the responsibility, along with other appointed representatives, who must also be of integrity and competence, to act on our behalf. Also, in doing so, we should expect all our representatives to effectively represent “all of us”, irrespective of political party affiliation.
Belizeans, true democracy exists where the people determine their representatives through free and fair elections, and by appropriate appointments. Those representatives must then act responsibly on behalf of “all of us”, including themselves, whether they hold office at the national, municipal or rural level. And they must do so by ensuring that our natural and financial resources are so distributed to serve the common good at all times during their term of office.
Of course, elections may be free and fair, to the extent that big business contribution to the high cost of campaigning is offset by the benefits that accrue to those big contributors following an election. Or to the extent that such contributors view political leaders as friends, and their pre-determined expectations.
Lord Ashcroft’s comments and response to questions posed by the hosts on Channel 5’s “Open Your Eyes” morning show of December 18, 2008, was informative and instructive. While we can all agree that Belize does not need the divisiveness that exists, Lord Ashcroft appears oblivious to the fact that he too is a contributor to such divisiveness.
Lord Ashcroft’s argument that the Government (of, by and for the people of Belize) still has an outstanding debt to the Belize Bank, based on the loan guarantee by the previous PUP administration, cannot be denied. However, his attempt to justify the fact that the Prime Minister, at the time, mismanaged the US$10M grant from the government of Venezuela, when he authorized the transfer of that US$10M to the Belize Bank, brought into question, in my view, his “love for Belize,” and his constant reminder to Belizeans that, “It’s All About You”.
It was also informative and instructive to hear Lord Ashcroft, who so loves Belize, and continues the refrain, “It’s All About You,” go on to say, “Government has taken the US$10M from the Belize Bank, which has affected the Belize Bank’s lending to the productive sector – – – Arbitration in London will cost the Government (of, by and for the people of Belize) not US$10M, but US$16-18M.”
Also, Lord Ashcroft’s observation that “politicians spin themselves out of realty” is oftentimes valid, not only in relation to politicians, but also to businessmen such as Lord Ashcroft, who seem to forget that the profits of the utility service providers come from the wages of Belizeans, who are no doubt being over-priced for the services being provided by these utility service providers.
Belizeans, it is always intriguing to hear individual businessmen or corporate citizens vehemently proclaim their love for a people, but not the Government (of, by and for the people), using words such as,
“I never had a dispute with the government (of, by and for the people of Belize). The Government (of, by and for the people of Belize) decided that they wanted to have a dispute because of something that they did not like.”
Belizeans, the Government of Belize is comprised of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary; and the Government of Belize, not the Government of the political party, has the Constitutional responsibility to ensure that laws are
1. passed by the National Assembly, for the peace, order and good government of Belize; and
2. only such laws are assented to by the Executive, and
3. then enforced by the Judiciary.
Belizeans, the Constitution “is the supreme law of Belize, and if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution, that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be null and void.” Consequently, the Constitution provides for its amendment, because the Constitution and the subsidiary laws must always reflect the collective will of the people of Belize – the people who determine the laws that the people desire to be enforced by the Government of, by and for the people.