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PUP Weighs In On Section 53 Judgment, Wants To Appease All Sides
posted (August 18, 2016)
And what is the PUP's position on the divisive issue? Well, we've told you about Leader John Briceno's Facebook posts which tended toward a more tolerant outlook. Today the party issued an official release, which seems to be trying to be all things to all people: urging tolerance in one breath, reverence for the churches in the other, respect for the decision in another, and the suggestion of support for a referendum in yet one more.

The release opens by saying, quote, "Our nation…was founded on principles which acknowledge the supremacy of God and respect for the principle of social justice." And then it goes unto say, quote, "Enshrined in our Constitution is our "faith in human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The release continues to try and have it both ways by saying, quote, "While we may believe that we the people should ultimately determine how we as a society should choose to live and be governed, we in the People's United Party respect the decision of the Supreme Court as the rule of law." And then it adds, quote, "we also respect the right of those who wish to challenge the decision of the Chief Justice in a higher court."

The release then makes another turn by saying, quote, "(we) maintain our position that there can be no room for hatred among Belizeans. We also stand firmly with the Churches and other organizations whose religious beliefs may compel them to reject certain lifestyles and to defend the nature of marriage to be between a man and a woman." End quote. The release ends on that ambiguous note, so we're not quite sure if the opposition favours a referendum on the issue, or if they want the church's appeal to succeed.

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