As we told you in our last segment, the PUP will meet tomorrow to decide on whether to re-engage in a bi-lateral effort on the Belize - Guatemala issue.
But, the truth is that the PUP National Party Council won't have much to work with. And that's because the "cautious optimism" that government speaks about seems to have more to do with the spirit surrounding the talks - than the actual substance of those talks. We're told the Guatemalan Foreign Minister doesn't have much authority to negotiate.
And that absence of real substance at this point, did create an unusual discontinuity in the positions that Prime Minister Dean Barrow, and Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington took when they answered questions from the press. The message appeared somewhat like double speak, with the Prime Minister saying that he doesn't have enough information to get into the details of the Washington Bilateral meetings, and Elrington saying that he did. Here's what moment from the Press conference yesterday:
Daniel Ortiz
"Can you give us any additional details? Can you share with us some of the discussions that happened these last 3 days in Washington or is at this time too sensitive?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Well, that certainly one reason why I cannot, the last point you made. But I also can't because I wasn't there and the Minister who was there is not now here. So I'm afraid for the moment what I just said is all that you can get. Let me welcome the Minister."
Reporter
"Is he able to expound on those meetings?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Essentially we have really briefed the Prime Minister as to all that we know, so that really we not really in a position to give you any information than he is giving you. We have given him all the information on this matter. He has heard from myself, from Alexis, he has heard from Pat, who attended all the meetings and so he is fully sees of the details and facts and I don't think we can add anything more to what he's saying to the nation than what he is now saying."
That was from Thursday's press conference.
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