On Friday Love News sat down with Belize Rural Central Representative, and the only woman member of the House of Representatives, Dolores Balderamos Garcia. Balderamos Garcia expressed her discontent with the way she was treated at last Wednesday’s House meeting after she raised concerns about the behavior of the Sergeant at Arms in the House of Representatives. Today, the women from the People’s United Party hosted a press briefing. Reporter Natalie Novelo and cameraman were there.
NATALIE NOVELO REPORTING
This afternoon, the PUP women came together to publicly express their concern and to condemn the behavior of the United Democratic Party members at the House of Representatives. The number one item on their agenda was the verbal assault of the Member for Mesopotamia Michael Finnegan against the Member for Belize Rural Central, Dolores Balderamos Garcia. At the head table sat Balderamos, along with PUP Secretary General, Myrtle Palacio, President of the United Women’s Group, Wendy Castillo and Former Speaker of the House, Senator and Representative for Dangriga, Sylvia Flores. Palacio emphasized that the behavior by Representatives in the House has questionable for some time.
MYRTLE PALACIO, Secretary General, PUP
“Chapter six of the Constitution of Belize charges the National Assembly of Belize for making laws for peace, order and good governance of the country of Belize. The Speaker of the House of Representatives presides over the sitting of the House; it is the Speaker’s role to ensure that there is order and decorum during the sitting. The unbecoming behavior of members mainly from the UDP in the House has not gone unnoticed as during the PUP’s consultation with the social partners in March was raised as a major concern particularly, by our church leaders, who vowed at that time to communicate this to those responsible before the next house meeting. The abuse of power by this UDP government has extended from chastising and criticizing judges’ decisions to flouting or ignoring the law and now, using the House of Representatives to make threats and crude innuendos against members of the House and members of the community who disagree with the Government.”
Palacio also informed the media that Senators Lisa Shoman and Karen Bodden addressed the issue at today’s senate meeting. Wendy Castillo read the official Statement from the PUP women, which above all, condemns what she referred to as the “vile verbal assault” against Balderamos, and calls for a public apology and immediate resignation of the Member for Mesopotamia, Michael Finnegan.
WENDY CASTILLO, President, UWG
“The member for Mesopotamia unleashed an unprecedented barrage of viciously crude and explicitly sexual innuendos on the floor of the National Assembly during a special sitting against the Honorable Dolores, who is the only female member in the House of Representatives; to add injury to his insult, Finnegan also hurled a repugnant threat directed at the honorable member and her husband. We note, in particular, that the Speaker of the House failed utterly in his responsibility to curb or even address the scandalous, personal attack – this we should not tolerate from any speaker of the House. That this occurred without rebuke is unconscionable and a matter of public disgrace and at the obscene display of disrespect during the house sitting; it signals a new low in our national discourse and we must not allow it; it stops here and it stops today. We insist on being treated with respect, civility and with regard to our human dignity; therefore, PUP women demand a public apology from and the immediate resignation of the member for Mesopotamia.”
As former speaker of the House of Representatives, Sylvia Flores said what happened on Wednesday was not only an assault on Balderamos Garcia
Sylvia Flores, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
“It was also an assault on the integrity and the sanctity of the House of Representatives because there are rules, what we refer to as standing orders, that govern the sitting of the House of Representatives and such assault that took place ought not to have taken place; there are rules as to how the Speaker of the House should behave and I felt that was an occasion when the Honorable Speaker should have ruled against the member for Mesopotamia because what he said, what he did in the house was unbecoming and I wonder whether this is the kind of legacy that we are going to leave for our children. When we see the assaults in different parliaments all over the world and we wonder how this could happen from the so-called elected representatives of the people, aren’t we supposed to be on our best when we go to that honorable house, aren’t we supposed to be there as examples for the entire nation?”
Flores also said that such behavior in the House should not be tolerated.
Sylvia Flores, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
“So, we must make that effort to send a message to our elected representative and especially so to the honorable member of Mesopotamia for the kind of behavior that took place in the house last Wednesday. Ladies and gentlemen, we do not need to tolerate this; there is a better way to behave and we must make sure that our representatives behave in a manner that makes us proud not a behavior that makes us bow our heads in shame.”
Finally it was time for Balderamos Garcia to speak and although she said she was hurt by the verbal assault toward her, it proved the point she was raising
DOLORES BALDERAMOS-GARCIA, Area Rep., Belize Rural Central
“On Wednesday, the UDP side including Boots and the Prime Minister and in particular, Finnegan proved the point that I was trying to make better than I could ever have done so myself. I don’t care about ever saying anything again about that misogynist; I don’t care to do that but I do care that we must raise the level of discourse because there are too many problems in this country that needs to be addressed and I fi can lend my voice to being in the house, to speak up for the country that we should be making and for the problems that we need to address, then I will continue my job.”
NATALIE NOVELO
Balderamos Garcia says she needs some time to think and she will take the advice of the strong women in the PUP as to what her next step will be. Castillo said that they extended an invitation to stakeholders in women’s issues but there was no representation from the organizations which include, the Women’s Department, the Women’s Commission and the Special Envoy for Women and Children. Reporting for Love News, I am Natalie Novelo.
The women say this is the first move to protest the action. The Mesopotamia area representative’s actions have also been condemned by Women’s Inspired for Change as well as PUP Mayors.