Tomorrow will be deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber’s first time in the chair where the Prime Minister usually sits. That’s because the PM is in New York seeking specialist’s advice on a persistent case of gastro-enteritis. Â
But the PM won’t be the only one missing tomorrow’s house meeting; so will PUP Cayo South Representative Julius Espat,.  Tomorrow’s meeting is the first since he was suspended on August 26th. Â
He went to the Supreme Court claiming that Speaker Michael Peyrefitte had abridged his rights. But on Tuesday, the Chief Justice sent him right back to the Speaker saying that they have to work it out under the House Standing Orders. That’s when Espat told the media that he will still go to the House, and he was quote, “ready to box†if necessary. Â
Well, today, at a press conference at his Cayo South office, Espat backed down from that hard line to say, that they are trying to work things out. Here’s how he explained it:…
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South Representative
"Since I was ejected from the house there has been communication between leaders or government and leaders on our side to see if there was a way in which this could have been settled. It has not been settled as yet but since the speaker made his commentary I think a couple days ago we pursued it even further and we are waiting to see if we can hold him to his word which is to find an amicable way or a civil way of going back into the house. The Hon. Said Musa wrote a letter to the speaker of the house and it's under the Fort George's division letter head and it says notice of a privilege motion, first one to standing orders 29 and 44:7. It says to the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representative take notice that the Rt. Hon. Member for Fort George wish to raise on a matter affecting the privilege of the House and to move the following resolution at the sitting of the House on Friday, December 9, 2016. Be it resolved that this Honourable House hereby terminate the suspension of the Hon. Member of Cayo South forthwith and that he be permitted to resume his duties in the House on behalf of the people of Cayo South at this sitting dated the 7th day of December 2016 signed Rt. Hon. Said Musa representative from Fort George. This is a formal letter that was sent, I am not aware if a response has been received by the Rt. Hon. Said Musa but we did this in good faith. With that said also the Rt. Hon. Said Musa along with other advisers from the party told me that it would be best that I don't go personally to the house because we have also received information from special branch and other aspects of the police department that they have an order to arrest not even going to the house but even the street that circulates the house. So with that said and my executive also came up with a resolution that they agreed with the proposal made and they agreed that I should remain close to the house of representative if this happens and I am permitted back in that I can just go over and go in. With that said I am not going to the house of representative as I previously stated, I still believe that I should be there, we believe that I was wrong, everybody say it on the television -- we don't need to be an attorney to be able to analyse that situation but everybody believe that somehow we have to give due process a chance."
Jules Vasquez
"An argument it can be made that it is you because you want to go to court because you want the chief justice to put the speaker in his place; it is you who derailed a process between Mr. Finnegan and Mr. Musa that was underway that might have resulted in an amicable resolution within the parliament, within the house, rules within the standing order. But you mi want run da Supreme Court to put Peyrefitte inna ih place and you lose."
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South Representative
"I didn't lose. Let me be clear with that Jules, what I am doing here is not to go back into the house to go into that same ruckus scenario."
Jules Vasquez
"You never answer mi question, you derailed the process."
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South Representative
"I didn't derail it, I'm explaining to you that we are using the avenues that are available to us and there is nothing wrong with that."
Vaughan Gill - Cayo South Executive
"The speaker did suggest that he felt kind of funny that Cayo South didn't have his representative in the house and hopefully something could have been worked out by Friday. This attempt by the Rt. Hon Said Musa with Mr. Espat attempted that so I believe the Cayo South voters believe that it is not in the UDP's interest for Julius Espat to be back in the house at this time with all the issues on the table right now he was ejected we believe because of speaking out against the government. The point today we are here where there is no answer to that letter and the information from the security forces that the instructions and the strategy has been put in place to detain him and restrain him from even being around the house on Friday."
Jules Vasquez
"Is it that you want them to move the earth, the moon and the sun because now you didn't have the success you wished for at the Supreme Court and you still want to go back into the house? And so now your problem becomes their emergency and Mr. Finnegan is saying well…"
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South Representative
"It's not my problem Jules; it's the problem of the people of Belize. I am one of 31 but they have urgency when it's political spending and they do supplementary appropriation and its done immediately when they have urgency they want pass a law they call and read it three times in a house meeting for insignificant things. If they have urgency to do those things then they should have an urgency to have a duly elected member of the House of Representative representing their people."
Reporter
"Basically when the house meeting starts tomorrow you'll be sitting in your office here awaiting a call?"
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South Representative
"Dressed up inna mi guayabera (laugh)...."
As you heard in the question and answer, the PUP’s most senior member Said Musa did reach out to UDP Party Whip Michael Finnegan earlier this week after the Supreme Court decision was handed down. But Finnegan told us that he didn’t foresee anything happening in time for this Friday’s House Meeting. He told us he remains ready to assist. Â
Whatever the case, Espat says he will be at his office tomorrow in his white guayabera ready to be called back to the House.
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