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As viewers are aware, the Prime Minister agreed to sign on to the UNCAC when he was negotiating with the Teachers to end the 11-day strike. They were on a campaign for good governance, and integrity in public life, and as part of their 9 demands, they also wanted the Prime Minister to reactivate the long dormant Integrity Commission. With today’s motion, the Commission will once again be doing its work, but the Opposition harshly criticized the Government not really intending to make the this body a robust watchdog group. That’s because all of the Prime Minister’s appointees are either very UDP friendly, or are outright UDP allies. 

He has also appointed Nestor Vasquez as the Charted Accountant for the Integrity Commission. Now, the Government’s explanation for the years of dormancy of this oversight body, was that no Chartered accountant was prepared to serve. The Business Community asked the Institute of Chartered Accountants to nominate someone who would, and they decided on Warren Coye – who happens to be the son of a former PUP minister. The Prime Minister chose Vasquez instead, and he became a flashpoint in today’s debate.

Here’s the Senate Back and forth on the appointment of the different members:

Hon. Godwin Hulse- Leader of Gov't Business - Senate
"The right Honourable Prime Minister intends to advise the Governor General to appoint Ms. Gabourel as a member of the integrity commission and where Ms. Gabourel is a person of integrity and high national standing and where section 61:8 2C read with section 61:8 3 of the constitution of Belize provides in effect that an appoint of a member of the integrity commission can only be validly made with the prior approval of this Senate."

Hon. Tanya Santos - PUP Senator
"This government is not serious about this integrity commission. It is just a lot more smoke and mirrors, it is a mockery, it is a joke."

Hon. Godwin Hulse- Leader of Gov't Business - Senate
"I have not heard an indeed I do not know of any clear cut legal or otherwise situation where the lady Ms. Gabourel was involved with, or sighted to be involved with or charged or brought before any court tribunal or anything and therefore we have to be careful. Yes when the integrity commission meets, it meets as a body and when it meets as a body there are going to be persons there who are going to be privy to the information of lots of people. Yes I am concerned that those people do have high integrity, integrity not only in their action and behaviour but integrity in their ability to call these things out and we trust that is what is going to happen."

"The right Honourable Prime Minister intends to advise the Governor General to appoint Mr. Wilmot Simmons as a member of the integrity commission and whereas Mr. Wilmot Simmons is a person of integrity and high national standings and where section 61:8 2C read with section 61:8 3 of the constitution of Belize provides in effect that an appoint of a member of the integrity commission can only be validly made with the prior approval of this Senate now therefor be resolved that this honourable Senate having perused the curriculum vitae of Mr. Simmons and being satisfied that he is a fit ant proper person to be appointed as a member of the integrity commission hereby approve his appointment as such for a period of 2 years with effect from the 1st of December of 2016."

Hon. Paul Thompson - PUP Senator
"This is not to pick on Mr. Wilmot Simmons. I do not consider him to be a bad person or a member o the evil empire or anything like that. I've known him most of my life but there can be no question where his political loyalty stands. He's a part of the UDP…"

Hon. Lee Mark Chang - President, Senate
"Senator Duncan you're objection?"

Hon. Stephen Duncan - UDP Senator
"As a point of order, I am not clear Mr. President whether or not your political persuasion is something that needs to be considered for appointment to this committee. I'm not sure why that is being put forward; we're debating fitness and willingness or the gentleman but your using his political affiliation as a rationale for that but that is not one of the criteria."

Hon. Godwin Hulse- Leader of Gov't Business - Senate
The right Honourable Prime Minister intends to advise the Governor General to appoint Mr. Nestor Vasquez a member of the institute of chartered accountants of Belize."

Hon. Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"You no pick up the phone and call the President and say we need a name. You don't ask the cabinet secretary please get in contact with the institute and say what's happening. You don't call Mr. Nikita Usher and say where is the nomination from the institute; no, we no di wait pan you, we are going ahead and we are finding someone; for 8 years we couldn't find anybody but all of a sudden when an outside institute is being asked by the chamber to nominate someone and that person is going to be nominated, that person is coming forward, you know that the process is ongoing; government all of a sudden finds someone. And the person serves on state enterprises which violates the spirit and the letter of the convention."

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour/Civil Society Senator
"At our last meeting we had with the prime minister when we were going through all of our points he made it clear to us when I asked the question. When you get those names from that body will you be selecting one of those persons or will you decide that you don't want anybody from that list and you will go outside. He was clear in his response, no ma'am I will select a name from the list and it was clear that a name was given to the prime minister based on what Senator Courtenay just shared with us. Yet we went outside of that and we are saying we have been waiting and no one was willing to be to say a pep, nobody was willing, nobody came forward. All of a sudden now we find this knight in shining armour coming forth to save the day and we accept. So what are we to believe now?"