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Today, we also asked Saldivar to comment on the Public Accounts Committee. He has proposed a more inclusive group, which would include the social partners. He got the council of churches and the Evangelical Association to support it - and then he took it to the Chamber and the NTUCB. They welcomed the proposals and even congratulated Saldivar for it, but weren't quite satisfied. They wanted to shift the balance of power, and vest the majority in the opposition and social partners, and put government in the minority. Saldivar told us today that the issue of majority rule in parliamentary matters is non-negotiable:..

Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security
"They have accepted all of the proposals except the one concerning the actual composition of the PAC where had proposed 5 additional members; 2 from government, 1 from opposition and 2 from Social partners, maintaining government's majority on the committee and I believe that the union and the chamber are not in agreement with government maintaining its majority."

"That's a position from which we will not resile. The Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association are both in agreement without original proposal and so I will take it back to Cabinet on Tuesday and we will discuss it further and come up with a final way forward."

"I do not believe that Cabinet will change from the current majority rule position and we had indicated that earlier on to the unions and the chambers. That's a position that we will not move from."

Jules Vasquez
"However, you remain open to dialogue?"

Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security
"We always open to dialogue, but I believe that having heard from them and them having heard from us we can now make a final decision and moved on."

That final decision is largely going to be left to Prime Minister Dean Barrow - who we can confirm returned to the country today. He received back surgery in California a week ago, and is recovering now at his home in Belize City. IT is expected to take some days of rest before he can return to Belmopan.