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PM Makes Many Compromises
posted (October 13, 2016)

So as we told you at the top of this segment, the Prime Minister held a press conference at the end of his over 3 hour meeting with the teachers unions. Here now are his comments about what transpired in the meeting, mostly unedited.

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"With respect to item number 1 which is the senate select committee, the BNTU is still concerned as I understand it about the composition though not about the terms of reference. Their focus was on composition because they would like to see the government side go down to 1. That is not government's view, government insisted that the motion that was passed when the Senate met a week or so ago is what should stand. We feel that government having 2 senators will not in any way interfere with the ability of the senate select committee to do its job impartially, thoroughly and of course this will take place by way of live hearings of the proceedings of that senate select committee. I should add that the question of the chair of the select committee did arise and we were making the point that in the event the current position holds which position is that neither the NTUCB senator nor the senator representing the council of churches wished to become chair. We're asking that be reconsidered and we hope that the labour senator might be given permission by the NTUCB to take up the chairmanship but if that doesn't happen one of the government senators would become chair and as we understand the orders governing the procedure that government senator as chair would then lose any power to vote. So in effect only the social partner senators on the committee and one government senator would be in a position to vote. I must make clear that the BNTU indicated that it was still concerned about the position we're taking and reserved its own formal response. So that is where things stand with respect to the senate select committee."

"On the question of the removal of Senator Godwin Hulse, I was quite clear that government cannot will not accede to that. I made the point that really in my view based on the judgement of Cheif Justice Conte with respect to the 2005 strike that is not a demand that legitimately constitute part of a properly described labour dispute; that's the second portion of point number one. Point number one was the select committee and the removal of Senator Hulse so I think I've sufficiently made clear to you what government's position with respect to both issues is. Point number two was that an international investigation be conducted into what is described as the apparent connection and involvement of ministers of government with Danny Mason. We've agreed that we (government) have no difficulty in trying to course some external assistance for such an investigation. The Attorney General will draft terms of reference by October 20th for the BNTU to look at and once we've agreed the terms of reference government will try to find, ask friendly government if some expect can be provided to in fact conduct an investigation based on those terms of reference."

"Point three was already agreed that's the revival and implementation of the cost savings committee so that was not an issue, that was accepted from the last time we met. Point four which has several sorts of sub points. The first sub point of point four is what the BNTU call the institution of the integrity commission. Now we've learned that the Chamber of Commerce has been in touch with the Institute of Charted Accountants. Remember the hold up with this is our inability to find an charted accounted willing to serve. It is our understanding that the institute is prepared to give me a list of 5 names of charted accountants who would be prepared to serve. We're not quite sure bases on what is reported to us as having been said by the chamber president this morning; whether they send the names to him and he forwards them to me or whether I am to write directly to the institute asking for the list of names but either way we will get that done. Once we have those names then we will go through the processes required by law for the appointment of the integrity commission. I have to propose a number of names to the leader of the opposition, he has to give me 2 of the appointees that basically are his choice with respect to the others I don't have to secure his agreement but in terms of the chairman of the commission I must use my best endeavours to get him to support whoever it is government wishes to name as chair. I give you these details really to make the case that it will take some doing for the process to be completed. When all that consultation is over and the Governor General is advised by me to sign the instruments of appointment the senate must still approve the persons to be appointed. So it will take as I said some doing in terms of the time required to ensure that we rigorously follow the procedures set out in law but we expect that all that should be done so that the integrity commission can be in place by November 14th of this year."

"With the respect to the public accounts committee I had already agreed to an expansion of the public accounts committee to try and turn it into a standing committee of both the house and the senate. Currently the public accounts committee is a creature only in the house of representatives not of the senate and there is no provision for there to be a joint standing committee of both houses. You can have a joint special select committee to deal with a particular issue but this would be a new creature a joint standing committee. Appointment of the 13th Senator I will sign the commencement order bringing that into force by next Thursday but while the instrument fixing a date for it to come into force will be done not later than next Thursday it won't actually come into force for 3 months. And the reason for this is that the constitutional provision providing for the appointment of the 13th Senator is extremely open ended, it merely says the NGO community is to do the selection. We believe and the BNTU seemed to agree that we will have to meet with all 20 odd registered NGOs that are in good standing to discuss putting something in the NGO act that will describe the mechanism by which the NGO community can make the selection. Who would qualify, who would then advise the Governor General to say the NGO community will advise doesn't make too much sense that can get you into trouble. If you look at the provision in the constitution for the appointment of the business senator for example it says the Chamber of Commerce and the Belize Business Bureau; for the labour senator that the NTUCB and so and so. There is nothing for the NGO community which is far too much and at large designation. So the 3 months should give us enough time to work out those mechanics and by the time that 3 months would have expired hopefully all will be in place for the NGO community to be able to advise the Governor General through whatever mechanism we agree on as to who that 13th Senator is."

He then took a few questions from the press, and here’s how that conversation went.

Daniel Ortiz
"From the course of the meeting it appears or what you set out - majority of the demands have been a seeded or the government has agreed to move on them. Would you accept that as your position?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Yes I would."

Daniel Ortiz
"So will the strike end tomorrow based on your perception of how the meeting went?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I can't tell you that answer you would have to ask the BNTU. I believe it should end but I can't tell you whether or not it will end."

Micah Goodin - Krem
"I've listened keenly to your presentation and you mentioned certain dates, you mentioned that you would do certain things. Sir but no disrespect to those individuals not knowing might say but this sound just like a next politician promise before a big election. What measurements are you putting into place that would ensure that today that these promises that you made will be in fact fulfilled or completed? Because it's just another politician's promise."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Micah you are not asking a question you're offering a comment and a political comment at that but I will tell you is that we have taken these negotiations with the BNTU very seriously. There is a strike currently in progress that is of fundamental concern to government, to parents, to citizens. There is no way that in an effort to resolve the problems with the BNTU we will make promises that we don't keep. If you don't want to believe the fact which is proven empirically by all the evidence in the world you can ever look at that I am a man of my word. You can rely on the consequences which would be shit and severe in the circumstances if I did not do what I have committed to do."

Reporter
"Is this your way of appeasing the business sector and preventing a national shut down?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Not at all sir, not at all sir; the BCCI have given some deadlines which we are not going to meet. I gave you my own timeline so the BCCI I'm afraid if they want to be so responsible as to call for a shut down because deadlines that they imposed that are utterly impractical then be my guest. No what we've done is to come up with time frames that are doable and practical and that's where we stand."

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