Yesterday, the Opposition came forward and rejected the Guatemalan proposal to change the date of referendum on the ICJ. Today, Cabinet met in Belmopan and took the same position.
A statement sent out this afternoon says that the Government "has decided to reject the Guatemalan proposals in their entirety."
The statement adds that quote, "tremendous efforts over many years and through successive administrations have been spent in finding a negotiated solution…and the failure of these attempts is what led to the signing of the Special Agreement by Belize, Guatemala and the OAS on 8th December, 2008."
IT adds, "The Government of Belize is today writing to OAS Secretary General Insulza… to confirm Belize's continued commitment to abide by the Special Agreement… including the holding of simultaneous referenda as agreed on 6th October, 2013."
This evening we caught Foreign Minister Elrington at his home where he said Cabinet decided unanimously:
Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Minister of Foreign Affairs
"The official response is that we will not deviate from the special agreement which we've entered into in 2008. The Government is going to stick to that."
Jules Vasquez
"So that means you all are going to - will not accept any variance of the date as proposed?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"We will accept no variance as put forward by the Guatemalans to the OAS."
Jules Vasquez
"You have always supported a stance of flexibility and that in all manner, our country must show itself as the one who has gone the extra mile. Why didn't you go the extra mile in this case?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"I don't think this is an occasion that calls for an extra mile."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you able to say if there was unanimity in prominence that this latest proposal should be rejected?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"That was a unanimous decision, unanimous, there was no dissenting voice."
Jules Vasquez
"So then, what happens next?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"Well, we will wait to see what will happen. We expect that the - once the Secretary General of the OAS receives our response, they will then convey that to the Guatemalans. And thereafter, we expect that we perhaps might be invited to another meeting and we will hear what is the Guatemalans final position, given our response to their proposal."
Jules Vasquez
"Will we have a referendum on or-"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"I'm still optimistic that we will; I am the eternal optimist. I think it would be in both our interest, in both Guatemala's interest and our interest for us to go and try to get it resolved once and for all."
Jules Vasquez
"We have tried negotiate with them. We are trying a juridical settlement, we cannot reach the - I'm saying that there is now a pattern of things breaking down, and if this thing breaks down - I know you don't want it to - but if this process which was consummated in the special agreement, if this process breaks down what next?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"We will just have to find another process to resolve the claim. The claim has to be resolved, if for no other reason than we are neighbors. We are like conjoined twins; Belize can't pick up and go somewhere else and neither can Guatemala. So we are geographically and destiny bound to each other; we have got to find a way to live together peacefully."
GOB's position will be formally communicated to the OAS tomorrow. Elrington expects that it will be another three weeks or so before a meeting will be convened by the OAS.
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