Click here to print
Motion to Bring Back Julius
Fri, January 13, 2017
And the first order of business was the single matter that perhaps played a part in Laura Longsworth's ascension. Her predecessor Mike Peyrefitte had famously clashed with the PUP Representative for Cayo South Julius Espat, resulting in his forcible ejection from the House. So, today, the House heard the motion from the government side to bring Espat back - but it's clear that there were definitely mixed feelings about it:...

Hon. Laura Longsworth, Speaker of the House
"It is therefore for this honorable house to consider a resolution to terminate the suspension of the honorable member at this time."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"And that I hope and pray to the lord in heaven that as long as I live I will never want to witness what happened on the 26th of August last year. I would hope that every member in this house must realize that you are the person, Madam Speaker, that is in charge of this house. You have the last decision to make whether we agree with you or we don't. Your decision is the rule of the day. Madam Speaker, I move a resolution that the Honorable Julius Espat, member for Cayo South be reinstated to his parliamentary duties and attend the next siting of the house of representatives."

Hon. Patrick Faber
"I remember his word particularly, Madam Speaker, saying 'which one of you thieves are going to name me?'. Casting aspersions Madam Speaker not only in terms of disrespect to you but casting aspersions on all on this side. Madam Speaker, while we believe that it is very important for him to come back to this honorable house, particularly because he represents a portion of this country that is very important to Belize's development, the people of Cayo south. Let us not pretend that he is all soft and ready. We had seen where that member demonstrated time and time again disregard. You can say that it was either ignorance an intentional thing not to learn the standing orders and follow them. I am hoping again that with the dawn of your era there will be some change once he is allowed to come back to this honorable house via the motion that my friend the member from Mesopotamia has passed."

Hon. John Briceno
"Whilst I am grateful for the honorable member from Mesopotamia for the resolution, I must register my disappointment that the honorable member from Cayo South is not allowed to come to this house meeting. The people from Cayo south has been without a representative in this honorable house since august of last year. That representative needs to be here in this honorable house representing his people. There's just no justifiable reason why he can't be allowed to come to this house today."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"I believe that it's the first time in the history of our parliamentary democracy that not only the member, but indeed the entire press was forcibly and violently evicted from this house. That should never again happen Madam Speaker."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"In terms of what happened, we all regret it. But when Mr. Member for Fort George, you will make it seem as though the force that was used was entirely unprovoked, forget the media. I don't know what took place with our friend from channel 7, but he certainly got up and indicated that he did not have a problem with what happened. But with respect to the member, when he was named, he refused to leave. Having been given opportunity after opportunity. After being named, he insisted on staying for a while to make a point, I could have understood that but this was a prolonged refusal that ultimately turned violent and for what reason? It was not that some fundamental interest of his party of the country was involved. This was ego and arrogance and a kind of bolshevism that resulted in this violent resistance when the forces of law and order acting in the accordance with the instruction of the speaker tried to remove him. This was after half an hour, if not more. But please as the member who moved the motion said, let us just pray to God that there is never again going to be that sort of a spectacle. but let us hope that notwithstanding that there is a genuine degree of contrition. Absent that while he must come back since we can't deprive the people of Cayo south of representation, we're going to go down the same road again. I recollect some old saying that if a cloth be washed a hundred times, how can it be rendered clean if it is washed in dirty water?"

So, while Espat did not return today, his suspension has been lifted with the motion moved to bring him back. So, he returns at the next House Sitting which will be at the end of this month or early next month.

Close this window