Teachers, businesspersons, social and political activists, attorneys, religious organizations and curious citizens looking for bona fide answers on the controversial Belize Constitution (Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2011, will converge inside the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall in Belize City as the public debate on the bill enters a new round on Wednesday night, August 10, 2011.
This will be the first in the series of nationwide consultations to probe this amendment, which seeks to give constitutional backing to Government’s recent move to re-nationalize the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) and to nationalize The Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), amid financial troubles.
There seems to be wide public support for the nationalizations; however, the point of contention is accompanying provisions of the constitutional amendment which some legal experts have said put the public at risk of losing their legal right to challenge constitutional amendments, even if they are inconsistent with other parts of the Constitution, which are meant to protect fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.
The Government maintains that its move is not sinister, but intended to make the nationalizations unchallengeable.
(The full text of the Belize Constitution (Ninth Amendment) Bill is published on page 19 of this issue of Amandala.)
Government has issued announcements inviting the public to attend the event: “Any person or interested bodies wishing to give their views and/or recommendations on the Bill is invited to do so in person at the meeting or in writing to the Clerk, National Assembly, Belmopan.”
The Belize National Teachers’ Union and The Belize Council of Churches are among the major groups which will take up the government’s offer.
Whereas the BNTU has not publicly declared a position on the matter, The Belize Council of Churches, which has told our newspaper that it plans to have representation at the consultation, issued a public statement today, indicating that it is most concerned about the effect that the “conferral of unbridled power to change the Constitution” could have in eroding human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It said that it does not support the proposed amendment to Section 2 of the Belize Constitution (see text on page 19), because it would permit internal inconsistencies in the Constitution itself and thereby make a mockery of the Constitution.
It also said that it does not support the proposed alteration of Section 69, which stipulates that constitutional amendments passed by the proper procedure, cannot be challenged in court.
Kathleen Flowers, president of the Belize City branch of BNTU, told Amandala today, Monday, that they are calling on branch executives and members alike to come out to the consultations and ask the relevant questions on the constitutional amendment.
“We are asking the executive members if they can be a part of it as well and lead the charge,” said Flowers. “If teachers see their executive leaders coming out, they will be more open…”
According to Flowers, “A decision was taken Saturday. [The national BNTU president, Luke Palacio] called a meeting with all branch presidents and determined that we need to get teachers onboard with paying attention to the issues as they relate to the 9th amendment bill.”
Flowers also said that the BNTU will do further consultations with teachers, and a national forum will be held on August 24, 2011, in Belmopan. The venue, said Flowers, is yet to be confirmed.
“We need to get onboard and push a little more with the ‘How we are governed’ agenda in the schools,” the branch president added.
The last time the union took so much interest in a proposed change in Belizean law was when the abolition of corporal punishment was in the works.
Collet area representative and Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, heads the Constitution and Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, but because he is currently out of the country, Belmopan area representative and Minister of Public Service, Governance Improvement, Elections & Boundaries and Sports, Hon. John Saldivar, will lead Wednesday’s public consultation, slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall in Belize City.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Eddie Webster, told Amandala that the committee members who are slated to be at the head table include Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Attorney General Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, area representative for Pickstock; Ramon Witz, Cayo South area representative; and Nemencio Acosta, Cayo North area representative – all members of the ruling United Democratic Party; while Orange Walk Central area representative and Leader of the Opposition Johnny Briceño of the People’s United Party (PUP) and Francis Fonseca, PUP representative for Freetown, should round out the panel of committee members. (The People’s United Party has gone on record to say that it is not in support of the constitutional amendments.)
Amandala understands that after a representative of the Attorney General’s ministry, possibly Solicitor General Cheryl Krusen, gives a presentation on the bill at the Wednesday night forum, the floor will be open for public input and questions, including questions to the panel of political representatives.
Webster explains that the public can also submit written comments to the National Assembly within the 90-day minimum window period. (This should expire on October 20th.)
When the public consultations conclude, the committee members would hold a private meeting to review public feedback, before rendering their report to the National Assembly, prior to the second reading and parliamentary debate of the constitutional amendment bill.