Opposition Leader, however, does “not have any optimism that the process will work”

Amandala understands that PUP Senator, Lisa Shoman, has written to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Eddie Webster, announcing her intent to bring a motion for the appointment of a Special Select Committee of the Senate for a second time at the next Senate meeting, scheduled for December 18, 2013.

The motion which Senator Shoman is attempting to bring to the Senate for a second time, indicates this time around that the Minister of Immigration, Senator Godwin Hulse, should be among those individuals questioned by the Special Select Senate Committee.

At the last Senate meeting that was held on November 6 of this year, Senator Shoman, one of the three senators representing the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP), moved for a motion to convene a Special Select Senate Committee to investigate the Immigration Ministry in the wake of the Penner passport scandal, primarily in an effort to uncover any irregularities that may have taken place at the Immigration and Nationality Departments in light of recent reports of improprieties and irregularities in the processing and issuance of nationality certificates, passports and visas at the Ministry of Immigration and Nationality.

When the PUP Senator presented such a motion in the Senate, it was registered as somewhat nullified, due to the fact that the voting on that motion ended in a tie, with the three Senators for the PUP, and the three senators for the social partners voting in favor, while the six Senators for the UDP all voted against. In a controversial casting ballot to make the final decision, the President of the Senate, Mark Pech, resolved the deadlock and voted ‘No’ against the Special Select Senate Investigation.

Senator Shoman, at the time, had emphasized that according to the Constitution (of Belize), Pech did not have a casting vote. Leader of Government Business, Hon. Senator Godwin Hulse, then moved for the adjournment of the meeting anyway, and that was where it ended.

Today, the Opposition Leader, Francis Fonseca, speaking at a press conference at the PUP’s headquarters in Belize City, said that the social partners are fully onboard with the Opposition on this matter. He told the media why they did not relent in pushing the issue, even though he believes it won’t be successful.

In speaking of the motion, which he said he hadn’t as yet looked at in great detail, and of the support of the social partners, Fonseca said, “…They believe that it is such a fundamentally important matter that we have to keep trying. We have to keep trying and give the Government an opportunity to come onboard, and to support an independent inquiry into this matter. There are still too many unanswered questions; it is still an ongoing matter and we will continue to push the matter; and we support and applaud Senator Shoman for the work that she is doing.”

Fonseca further explained why he was doubtful about the motion’s success, saying, “Well, if the Government obviously has made it clear that they have no interest in a Senate inquiry, I don’t expect Senator Hulse to behave any differently, and I don’t expect the President of the Senate to act any differently. They are under instructions from their leader, so yes, there is good reason for me not to have any optimism that the process is going to work, but we have to demonstrate to the Belizean people that we are serious, that we are trying, and let them understand very clearly that the only reason that today in this country we are not having an independent investigation into this scandal which involves UDP ministers, is because of Mr. Barrow and the UDP government. The Opposition wants it, but not only the Opposition, the Chamber of Commerce, the business people in this country, the churches, the unions – all are in support of an independent investigation into this matter. Mr. Barrow likes to beat his chest and talk about majority rule; well, we collectively comprise a majority of the people in this country. If he is unwilling to listen to the majority, then something is seriously wrong.”

According to Opposition Senator, Lisa Shoman, Minister Hulse should have removed himself from voting at the tabling of the first motion in the last Senate meeting.

Apart from Minister Hulse, the PUP proposes that the Special Senate Select Committee question the Auditor General and the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Immigration.

The Special Select Committee, if implemented, would inquire into the discharge of duties and the execution of function of the following units: the Auditor General, the Contractor General, the Ombudsman and any Chief Executive Officer in a Government Ministry. In addition, the Committee will be authorized to require the attendance of any Minister of Government.

In its first order of business, the Committee would require the attendance – before the Committee – of the Auditor General, the Immigration Minister and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Immigration and Nationality. The motion will suggest that the meeting be made public and that, at the conclusion of the hearings, a report be issued to the Senate.

In addition, the Special Select Committee would be comprised of 5 senators – one from the Senators appointed by the Government, one from the Senators appointed by the Leader of the Opposition and the three Senators appointed by the social partners. At the first meeting of the Committee, a Chairperson would be elected and the quorum would be three.

Before that Senate meeting convenes in the middle of next week, though, a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives is scheduled for Thursday of this week.