Today tension was high at the start of the House Meeting in Belmopan - and that's because of a major event that passed completely under the radar.

Remember last night how we told you about the conversation with Minister of State Edmund Castro and businessman Karim Berges that fellow Minister of State Mark King secretly recorded?

Well we heard it was about questionable activity that would implicate Castro and King passed it on directly to the Prime Minister.But today we have information which says the conversation -secretly recorded after Castro had had a few drinks - was about Castro's loyalty to the PM and whether he would be attending today's house meeting.

Why is that of any importance?Well, first, remember that the UDP government has a 17 - 14 majority in the house.And then factor in that Minister of Housing Michael Finnegan is out of the country getting back surgery - and he'll be out for a while.

So he was not available for today's meeting.So that leaves the UDP side with 16 votes, but with Elvin Penner stripped of his house committee chairmanship and his vehicle last week, he can't necessarily be counted on for a vote - which brings it down to 15 - with Castro - which is a one person majority over the PUP's 14.

And that's where the Mark King recording comes in - we are told that the recording was made to suggest that Castro would not necessarily be at the house meeting to vote.

Why does that matter?Well of the 7 bills passed today, 4 of them have to do with meeting international regulations for banking transparency.Those bills have to be passed in time for an international deadline on Monday-if they weren't, Belize's banking sector would be blacklisted and chaos in the commercial banking sector would ensue.Which is why an emergency House Sitting was called for today with almost no day's notice.

So, for the stability and protection of the banking sector and the country, the legislation had to pass.But did the PM have enough votes?Well we got a clue of that when Belize Rural North Representative Castro showed up on time and took his seat right behind the Prime Minister.They spoke and everything seemed to be alright.Later on, Cayo Northeast Representative Elvin Penner came in and took his far seat.And, it turns out all the tension was for nothing because the opposition supported the four pieces of legislation.

But all that is background to the intrigue surrounding the King recording.We pressed the Prime Minister on it -and while he resisted at first, in the end he gave a surprisingly revealing answer:

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, we've heard about a recording that Hon. Mark King sent to you reference a conversation he'd had with Hon. Edmund Castro, and certain statements were made. Are you able to say what's in that recording?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"Well, I am able to say, but I won't."

Jules Vasquez
"Did Edmund Castro impeach himself for irregular behaviour in Government? Or, did he speak against you as Prime Minister, or how you've handled him in Government?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"May I repeat what I just said? I won't tell you what the contents of the recording are. I consider it an internal UDP matter, and I will leave it there."

Jules Vasquez
"But, do they involve impeachable acts in public life?

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"You will not be able to say about me as you said about my esteemed Mayor, that he blew his top, or lost his cool. All I will do, sir, and I will repeat it all afternoon if you oblige me to, is to say that I will not share the contents of that recording with you or the media. I will not comment on the contents of that recording. Notice that I am an honest fellow, and I confessed to having such a recording in my possession."

Jules Vasquez
"But if you are the guardian of public life, of public affair, and they are impeachable - There is a public duty you uphold."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well, I will tell you this. I will not countenance any breach of public duty. See, you are such a whiley and resourceful fellow. You got more out of me than I was prepared to give at the start. Will you not now rest on your laurels now, sir?"

Jules Vasquez
"We carry on. Hon. King has been cautioned before for recording the chairman of the Party in another matter when he wasn't even a candidate. He had recorded the chairman of the Party, when they didn't allow him to run. He admitted it, and he said that he wouldn't record anymore. I had interviewed him about that."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well then, you should take it up further with him."

Jules Vasquez
"But is it a concern to you that there is someone in your midst recording conversations?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"But, but, but, I don't understand you. I this is not a recording of a Cabinet Meeting or an off-"

Jules Vasquez
"But, it's not impossible that that could happen."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Then, if that is happen, and there is any evidence of that, I would deal with that. But, what a wonderful fellow I am. I tell you that I have nothing more to say, and yet, I allow you to pull more and more out of me."

Jules Vasquez
"A House Meeting like this should be just a procedural thing, but with Mr. Finnegan out, and at least one straw representative who is in the wind, and another who is in a transitional stage, Mr. Castro, who spoke today, does that complicate the governance matters for you, which is the subtext for the entire recorded phone call thing."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Indeed, I will give you that much. You are a persistent fellow, but so should a fearless, and peerless journalist be. Indeed, it gives me a chance to say this. I will not lightly give up the Government. I will not lightly say, 'Let's go back to the people.' But, I will also, if it comes to that, not shirk the larger responsibility that I have. Every time I take action, as I'm telling you I am sworn to do, and as I tell you I will continue to do, there are political repercussions because of the slimness of the majority. I bear that well in mind as I take the actions that I take. Ultimately, if I have to take more actions, and it results in 2 persons or perhaps 3 persons who are in the House, resigning from the Party, thus triggering either bi-elections or a general election, I will simply have to do what my duty and conscience tells me I must do, and live with the consequences, which would no doubt be a loss of the consequent general elections. I'm not going to go there easily, as I said, but if I have to, I will go there."