| There was a House Meeting in Belmopan today - but for all those of you who expected a drastic showdown on the vote for and against the 90.6 million owed to the Belize Bank - it didn't happen.
That's because this house meeting had been scheduled from before the CCJ judgement was handed down on November 22nd. So today's sitting was the regular final house meeting of the calendar year. To vote on the 90 million - the Prime Minister will have to call a Special Sitting. But he will only do that after the Bank has formally served him with a certificate for the amount that is due on the award. That must be done within 21 days of the judgement, and we are at day 16.
The PM today told the press that the dramatic meeting featuring the vote on the 90.6 million dollar award will probably come in the first week of January:...
Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"This is usually the last House meeting before Christmas but will we have another because the Special Sitting for the $90 million needs to also be held eventually."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Quite possible but I'm not sure. We clearly are waiting until we get the certificate which can only be issued 21 days after the judgment but once that certificate comes, I think, we will want to have a special meeting as quickly as is practical."
Jules Vasquez
"But is there a timestamp? Once you get the certificate is there a timestamp or risk imprisonment?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"I don't think so. We are quite clear that the monies have to be voted by parliament, there are all sorts of arguments for the other side as to whether Parliament's vote in a certain way is obligatory. We've announced to you and to the world that once we get the certificate we will come to parliament with the supplementary allocation. I don't see that there is any risk that if we take a couple of weeks before we, in fact, summon a meeting that that could be misinterpreted as a desire or determination on our part not to call the meeting at all. The meeting will be called."
Jules Vasquez
"So, probably early in the new year?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"Not later than, I would say, the first assuming that the certificate comes as early as it can come; certainly, not later than the middle of January, I would think perhaps the first week in January."
And while the Prime Minister has his own timeframe, the Belize Bank is pushing for immediate payment. The Bank's Attorney Eamon Courtney has sent the Attorney General Mike Peyreffite a letter saying that a soon as government gets the certificate, the Bank expects payment. The PM says the Bank can want all it wants, he must go to the House:
Reporter
"I believe the Attorney General is in possession of a letter where he is asked to make it clear that this is going to be dealt with when they are ready to issue the notice, one, and two they've raised concerns where your statement on the 29th of November and the statements from other members of your party could be seen as contempt of court."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow- Prime Minister
"Well, first of all, that's not his business. And in terms of my statement or my statements, I am very much aware of what I said and I was aware when I was saying what I said. So, I dismiss that out of hand, certainly, with respect to myself. In terms of his saying to the Attorney General that he wants matters dealt with as soon as he comes up with the certificate, I am repeating, matters will be dealt with but not in the way he wants. There is clearly not going to be any payment unless and until the House votes to appropriate the money. He and, Allen and Overy can hauler until the cows come home. I am satisfied that the state of the law, the state of our constitutional and statutory arrangements is such that that money cannot be paid, cannot be extracted from the consolidated revenue fund unless and until parliament votes to so appropriate it. There is no doubt in my mind that depending on how parliament goes, we clearly will be back in court and I would say nothing about that."
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