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A Motion for Good Governance

PoliticsA Motion for Good Governance

BELMOPAN, Fri. Jan. 8, 2021– The People’s United Party released its 2020-2025 manifesto entitled Plan Belize just before the 2020 General Elections. The plan lays out the party’s roadmap to recovery for Belize, amid a worldwide pandemic and the worst economic crisis the country has ever faced. During the special sitting of the House of Representatives held last Friday, Prime Minister John Briceño rose to table a motion for “Good Governance”.

“On this side of the House, we respect and we believe in the rule of law; we plan to operate a legitimate and effective government that delivers for all. Our Plan Belize laid out our agenda to fight corruption, work to restore confidence in government and build a respectful relationship with our partners. This is why, before the election, we on this side signed our covenant with the Belizean people, and today we are entering our covenant with the people into this honorable House,” Prime Minister Briceño said in his introduction to the motion.

He stated that he wants the people of Belize to see that his new government is serious about meaningful reform, and open and accountable governance. It is also a reaffirmation to the people that the government will set out to fulfill the promises outlined in their Plan Belize manifesto.

Hon. Briceño then went on to table the motion, which was taken through its three stages and passed in the House, but not before some backlash from the Opposition. Area representative for the Mesopotamia division, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, called on the Government to fulfill the promises of good governance with legislation, not a mere motion.

“I support good governance and transparency, and I agree with all of the things I believe the member from Orange Walk Central just read out. But I have to remind the member from Orange Walk Central, you are no longer Leader of the Opposition. You are the Prime Minister, and I congratulate you, but on November 11th the people of this country voted for you to take action. So, bring the legislation to the House. We don’t need a motion. We need legislation. Bring all of those things that you said as legislation and pass it into law,” Barrow urged.

Hon. Patrick Faber, area representative for the Collet Division, rose for the first time in the House of Representatives as Leader of the Opposition and referred to the Good Governance motion as a “non-sense paper.” Faber pointed out that this motion tabled by the Government was simply a regurgitation of its Plan Belize manifesto, which has already been widely publicized across the country.

“Why bring this non-sense paper? Why not bring something here that will see the change? We don’t have time to waste. If it is that you say that these things are such an urgency, if they are so important for good governance and if these things are emergency situations, why is it dat yo wa bring wa sham paper, weh ah tell we again, one more time weh unu promise fi do when unu get elected? You are elected, you are the Government, bring the legislation.” Faber said.

In response to his remark, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries, Kareem Musa, said, “I am deeply troubled from the reaction from somebody who now holds the seat as Leader of the Opposition to refer to a good governance motion as a nonsense paper. That is the word he used. Clearly, the concept of good governance and transparency is something that is so alien to them. For thirteen years we have been clamoring for this type of legislation and I hear the member for Mesop, bring the legislation. We are not Fat Joe, you know. We will bring the legislation. He didn’t bring the bag, but we will bring the legislation. You don’t worry about that.”

After a period of debate between both sides of the House, the Prime Minister rose once again to conclude his submission of the motion. He once again shared that putting the good governance agenda on the record was the purpose of the motion and that he was surprised that the Leader of the Opposition would not take the opportunity to support such a progressive move.

Hon. Briceno said, “Now, Madam Speaker, I’m not a person to speak out when we speak in private, but since the Leader of the Opposition wants to do that, then let me point out to him, he was the very same one that said ‘we are not going to cooperate with you, the government, because you want arrest Montero’; that’s what he said — ‘because you want arrest Montero’.” Prime Minister Briceno later mentioned that the alleged remarks of Hon. Faber were not said to him directly, but were made during a conversation between the Leader of the Opposition and Cabinet Secretary, Stuart Leslie.

A seemingly baffled Faber rose in the House to deny the allegation, saying that it was a lie. This caused a back-and-forth between the two leaders, which led Speaker of the House Valerie Woods to chastise them both.

“I will do my utmost, members, to see through to the end of today’s sitting, I appeal to each member: when I speak, you must yield. There cannot be two members standing, and you must allow me to hear the point of order to rule on it,” Speaker Woods stated.

“I’m giving an opportunity to the Opposition to join us in something good. So many times we mi support unu when you bring something that makes sense. Here we have a motion, the first opportunity that we are giving you to join the Government in supporting a motion that spells out the agenda of good governance, of openness and transparency in Government. The decent thing to do is to support the motion,” PM Briceno said.

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