13 bills were introduced in the House of Representatives at today’s sitting, one of which went through all three readings. But the main focus was on two of the four motions that were presented. The first was the implications of the Caribbean Court of Justice on the public policy of Belize motion 2013. This had as its basis the decision delivered by the Caribbean Court of Justice on July 26 in which it ruled that the settlement deed signed by former Prime Minister Said Musa with Carlisle Holdings Limited on March 22, 2005 was illegal, void and contrary to public policy. Prime Minister Dean Barrow hailed the court’s decision.
RT. HON DEAN BARROW
“It was not possible to put in the motion all that the CCJ had to say and it was not possible to give the entire background to what has now become a transaction that will live on in infamy but let me try to supplant the language of the motion in a short a time as I possibly can. Mr. Speaker, the CCJ said that the actions of the Leader of the Opposition and the current member for Fort George were repugnant; these two were and their actions were described as malignant tumors on our democracy which no court could allow to go. It was said that what they did, if allowed to stand, would set back the democracy of Belize by some three hundred years. It was said, Mr. Speaker, that this was a classic case, if you will, of an outrageous attempt at prime ministerial governance and constituted as well, over-weaning arrogance on the part of the Executive and particularly, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Fort George.”
Former Prime Minister Said Musa in his contribution to the debate accepted full responsibility for signing the document. Musa said he acted in good faith and his action was simply to put an end to the endless litigation the Government was facing at the time.
RT. HON. SAID MUSA
“The settlement deed that I signed as Minister of Finance and witnessed by the Attorney General, was an act of the Minister of Finance and unlike this Prime Minister, I do not throw anyone under the bus including Ministers when there is problems facing me; I accept responsibility unlike that Prime Minister, who will throw you and other ministers under the bus when it suits him. Mr. Speaker, the decision that I took and signed the agreement was done in order to bring to an end, a series of lawsuits brought against the Government regarding the telecommunication industry; this is the background. It was settle disputes arising from our manifesto commitments to create competition and to bring to an end the monopoly of BTL over the industry in Belize. It was also to settle the difficulties we were facing when the sole provider, BTL refused interconnection to any other telecom providers. The difficulties we, as a government faced when we sought to provide free and affordable internet in our schools; the difficulties we were facing and lawsuits when the dominant provider, BTL refused to comply with the regulations of the PUC regarding rates and fees charged by the telephone company; that was the genesis, Mr. Speaker, of the subsequent disputes that arose and the spate of litigations brought against the then government.”
For his part, Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca referred to the motion as “political grandstanding” by the Barrow administration.
HON. FRANCIS FONSECA
“Mr. Speaker, the motion that is being debated today is absolute nonsense; it is not worth the paper it is written on and what we have here today, Mr. Speaker, is a government that after five months, remember this National Assembly has not met in five months; they are not worried about the people’s business; there is one reason for this meeting and it is this motion – that is the sole purpose of this meeting, to grandstand and posture and play political games when there are serious problems affecting this country; that is the sole purpose for the meeting – to grandstand and talk and play games.”
Fonseca said the motion is just a distraction from all that is wrong in the country at this time.
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