BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 5, 2021– On Tuesday, the Belize Peace Movement (BPM) released a statement in which it described comments made by Minister responsible for Governance and Reform, Hon. Henry Charles Usher in reference to the redistricting case that is to be heard by the Supreme Court, as erroneous and misleading.

The BPM statement indicated that on July 27, on The Whip Talk Show, Minister Usher alleged that the redistricting case was in “abeyance” due to a failure on the claimant’s part to file witness statements twice.

The BPM is calling these comments the farthest thing from the truth and is urging the Minister to engage in a proper fact-gathering/fact-checking exercise in order to more responsibly inform Cabinet and the wider public.

The statement says, “The BPM informs the public that the recent weeks of negotiation among the litigating attorneys in this case, seeking a settlement, has ended without agreement. The claimants have therefore requested that the Court set a date for trial.”

A Cabinet brief that was issued last month stated that Minister Henry Usher was directed to see the redistricting process through, and during the talk show he reportedly said that the exercise is now in “full swing” under the Election and Boundaries Commission. This is despite the ongoing proceedings inside the Supreme Court.

If this is the case, the BPM is calling on the Election and Boundaries Commission and the government of Belize to inform the courts of this so as not to waste any more of its time and resources.