Since last week Wednesday's Senate meeting, we have been closely following the political commentary after the Barrow Administration outmaneuvered and defeated the PUP's motion for a Senate Select Committee to inquire into the Auditor General's Reports on Immigration practices.
Prime Minister Barrow proposed that a Joint Select Committee, made up of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, would do a better job than a Senate probe. The PUP condemned that as the Government attempting to cover-up and protect the UDP Minister's whose names are called in those 3 reports.
Well, this morning, we met the Leader of the Opposition, and the senior PUP Senator at the Biltmore. They were there to meet the churches before going into that meeting with the Prime Minister. The PUP leaders told us that even though their motion was defeated last week, and even though the Senate rules don't allow for a defeated motion to be brought twice, they're going to try anyway.
Here's the Opposition Leader talking about how the meeting went:
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition - PUP
"We had a breakfast meeting with Bishop Papouloute and Bishop Philip Wright for us to be able to have an opportunity to share our views when it comes to the issue of either having a senate investigation or a joint house and senate investigation into the Auditor General's Report. We pointed out to them why we believe that the way to go is the senate. They listened, they asked questions, we clarified some of the concerns that they have."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Lead Senator
"I believe that the senate by the constitution is mandated to do this and therefore any attempt to go by way of a joint committee is clearly contrary to what is in the constitution and is manifestly illegal. So, we think that that is not the proper course. We will go back to the senate at the earliest possible time and have a motion introduced in the senate. The senate has the ability to suspend its rules and if there is any rule that is going to stop it from being consider urgently, it can be suspended. At the end of the day Belizeans have to ask themselves why is it that the government is going through all these extraordinary steps in order to avoid an independent investigation. 
I think it is clear to people and its seems to me that the social partners and the political parties are clearly coming to the view that the senate investigation is going to be independent and the way to go, because it's important to understand the proposal that was made. It is a committee of 5; 1 from the government, 1 from the opposition, and then 3 social partners. So no political party will be in control of that committee. The 5 members will choose their chairperson. It seems to me that there is no obstacle for us going back. We will demand that we go back to the senate. We will demand that there be a vote and we are hoping that with good sense, the government will relent and appreciate that the proper way to go is a senate investigation."
"So it seems to me that if they insist, they're setting for a legal fight. That is not in the interest of Belize and Belizeans should ask themselves why and can be for only one reason and it is to continue the cover up. If you take the less than 13 who are cabinet who have been named, who obviously can't serve, what are we going to have, ministers of state investigating their boss? It a kangaroo court, it's a circus that they are proposing and anybody who looks at that in a reasonable way will understand that it is design to perpetuate the cover up."
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