Yesterday PUP Deputy Leaders Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde "fainted
the crowd" at the House of Representatives when they abstained in the
vote on the Belize Telecommunications Act of 2009. Particularly disappointing
when we consider that Espat is the one who in June of 2005 dropped bombs from
the backbench when he righteously criticized Michael Ashcroft's, "scorched
earth campaign to gain control of Belize's most profitable public company –
BTL" as a "conspiracy to control and suck dry BTL and its Belizean
consumers." Tough talk – so why did Espat abstain yesterday when
the bill was introduced to reverse what he had called a conspiracy? Espat explained
to us today that before he starts cheerleading he has to make sure that there
is actual progress on meeting the expectations of consumers.
Hon. Mark Espat, PUP Deputy Leader
"I think what is on the minds of most Belizeans today is how will
this directly affect them. First of all how will it affect the hundreds of workers
that are at Telemedia. The government has offered verbally an assurance but
that ball is in the government's court. Secondly, will telecommunication
rates go down and will the playing field indeed be levelled. Again the jury
is out on that. And third, is what you mentioned just now in terms of the ownership
of the company, the directorship of the company, re-Belizeanation so to speak,
will dividends from the new telecom company remain in Belize and benefit Belizeans.
These are as you know all issues that I had addressed four years ago and
at the time because I felt and I feel now very strongly that those are the elements
that must be put in place and so I would say in response to your question that
while the House considered yesterday an enabling legislation that in fact the
proof is going to be in the pudding and so it is now up to this UDP government
to ensure that those issues are addressed.
The very nature of my decision yesterday and also the decision of the Hon.
Cordel Hyde and in fact of our Senators today to abstain is an indication that
in principle the concept is one that favours positively or augurs well for our
national development. No one can I think reasonably quarrel with the concept
of Belizeans owning their telecom company with argument of dividends staying
here, with employee security, and of course with lower more competitive rates
and a level playing field.
Those are all laudable and noble objectives and I think if that is the
direction we are going to move in, and if it can be achieved in a timely and
efficient and effective manner then I think when the foreman stands up the verdict
will be a positive one. But please I want to underscore that what was passed
yesterday was not the new Articles of Association or company byelaws of BTL.
It was not what the workers can expect that we were voting on. It was not who
was going to own the company. What we voted on was an enabling law that now
gives this UDP government to proceed as they had promised to proceed and I think
our job as the Opposition and the job of the electorate is to ensure that the
assurances that were given are delivered upon."
Jules Vasquez,
"You and your other co-deputy Cordel Hyde abstained. Why couldn't
you just support your party leader?"
Hon. Mark Espat,
"The party did not take first of all a party line. Because again no
fault of the PUP, this was an abrupt bill, we did not have notice of it until
we were there. In fact we only knew a few hours before. There were lots of rumours
going around and so the simple answer to your question is perhaps others would
have been persuaded to abstain if we had had that opportunity. Perhaps we might
have been persuaded to vote a different way. The fact is that as you know, I
am on record in the House of Representatives on many of these issues that surfaced
yesterday and it was not just the member from Lake I and myself. As you know,
the Senators of the PUP also abstain. I think for the same reason that I explained
earlier that it is difficult for us to assess this in such a short period."
Jules Vasquez,
"Would you agree then that your leader is in some sense compromised on
his flexibility of responses to this issue because his family business or the
business owned by his family, in which he is at least an interested observer
is apparently owned by Ashcroft affiliated interests?"
Hon. Mark Espat,
"Well no I wouldn't say that Jules because the party leader
has made it clear where he stands and where the party stands on the issue for
example of so-called secret agreements and he repeated that position yesterday
so I think that is a clear indication of the direction that he has been attempting
to head in and I think the Prime Minister also made it absolutely clear that
whatever motives he was impugning as it related to the lack of competition in
no way related to the leader of the opposition."
Interestingly, the first secret telecommunication agreement we ever
heard of was in March of 2004 and it involved Speednet and BTL which at the
time was still managed by Ashcroft-affiliated interests. It was an interconnection
agreement which was agreed to between BTL and Speednet right before Jeffrey
Prosser was supposed to take over. We say it was secret because the Prime Minister
at the time Said Musa told us that he didn't know about it and told us
that the secret manner in which the agreement was arrived at seriously jeopardized
the sale to Prosser. Of course knowing what we do now about the ownership of
Speednet, the context of the agreement is more easily understood.
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