7 News Belize

Hon. Julius Was Punching A Face On The Wall
posted (August 30, 2016)
On Friday PUP Cayo South Representative made the worst kind of history when he was forcibly ejected from the House of Representatives. He left with a broken finger, and a torn shirt. He can blame the cops for his shirt, but, as you saw, he has only himself to blame for his broken finger. Yesterday we asked him how he's doing:...

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"How is your health?"

Hon. Julius Espat - Cayo South Representative
"It's pretty good. It couldn't been better."

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Sir and the incident with the wall. Do you regret punching the wall?"

Hon. Julius Espat - Cayo South Representative
"Never. I have very vivid pictures on that wall."

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Thank you."

And while we won't even hazard a guess at whose face he was picturing, we do know that Friday was not the first time that Espat clashed with House Speaker Michael Peyrefitte. With Espat's defiant style like an unstoppable force and Peyrefitte's inflexible stance like an immovable object, these conflicts have been a regular feature of House Meetings. And, in fact, in December of 2013 Espat was suspended, except in that case he walked out, along with his party. For historical context we tonight re-broadcast a section of our report from that day:

Hon. Julius Espat
"The issue is social justice Mr. Speaker."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Which one of those 3?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"It's all Mr. Speaker, it's embodied in one."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"You are allowed only one. Pick one."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Thank you."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Member I will ask you to stop."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Mr. Speaker, the people want their representative to speak on their behalf."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"The people of Belize would like their members to follow the standing orders in the House. Pick one, member. Why do you want to start a fight at the end of the day like this?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"I am not fighting. You are not being fair. This is the Christmas season and we are asking you to be fair."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Member, you can call a public meeting and you can read a hundred pages to your heart's content. There are rules in the National Assembly that you must follow. I think you are just trying to be difficult."

Hon. Julius Espat
"No, I am trying to represent the people who put me here. That's what I am doing and if that is wrong Mr. Speaker, then the system is wrong. We have to change the system of governance to be able to provide for true social justice, not turkey and ham social justice."

"The Prime Minister has two options and that is; 1.) to make the honorable and correct decisions which is basically to follow his 2008 manifesto and give this nation the reform that is drastically needed or the second option; to continue to turn a blind eye on human trafficking which is being manage by members of his cabinet."

Michael Peyrefitte
"Member, listen I've made a decision. I want you to end your speech now. Under the standing orders, I ask of you to end your speech now. Member that was the last straw about human trafficking by…member I officially suspend this member for the rest of the day's sitting. I give you five minutes to leave, sir. If you don't leave I'll ask the officers to have you leave."

Jules Vasquez
"What happened? Usually these meetings finished in an air of buoyancy and good wishing."

Julius Espat
"That's the problem, that everybody wants the Christmas cheer and Santa to take away the problems that we have a as a country. It was clear in there that the government does not want true discussion. The Speaker of the House was erroneous; he is not an elected member. He is a failed UDP aspirant. I am an elected member and I should be given the right to speak and I wasn't offending anybody, I wasn't insulting anybody and that is what you are seeing there."

Jules Vasquez
"He said that you were straying from the subject speaking on too broad a matter making broad allegations. That's what he said."

Julius Espat
"And isn't good governance and accountability enough. That's the problem we are facing. The visa hustle is about a accountability. The passport sale is about accountability. The un-equitable distribution of funds is about accountability. Everything I spoke about is about accountability. The problem is that I am speaking the truth and the truth hurts and they can't handle the truth."

Jules Vasquez
"You and the Speaker have had discussions on the side before because you and he have had many conflicts previously."

Julius Espat
"We are alright. He is trying to defend his government and I am defending the people of Belize. It's clear, the line is drawn."

Jules Vasquez
"So now will you seek reproach with him to try and...?"

Julius Espat
"I could shake his hand right now. This is not personal for me. I am here to do a job and probably he is there to do his job which is to defend his government. Remember he was appointed by them. That is something we need to change; the Speaker of the House should be a person that is to be approved by both sides, so we don't have this kind of problems. But I can't speak ill of him for doing his job. He was appointed by the Prime Minister."

Jules Vasquez
"But he is to do his job with equity."

Julius Espat
"He is doing it with equity?"

Jules Vasquez
"I cannot judge. I am not a member of the House."

Julius Espat
"I am saying he is not because if you go back to the files and listen to what I said. If I did anything to offend anybody and anything that is not the truth then I would say that I was doing something erroneous and I would step back."

Jules Vasquez
"You accused members of the House of hustling. That's unparliamentarily language."

Julius Espat
"They are hustling. This is like Animal Farm; they are better than you and that's why they are not being investigated. The fact is they are hustling."

Jules Vasquez
"In the parliament of any country that is unparliamentarily language though. You can't say a member is hustling."

Julius Espat
"I said it."

Jules Vasquez
"And you were discipline for it."

Julius Espat
"And I was and I will take my lashing and I have."

Again, that was from December 2013, and Espat was only suspended for that session.

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