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PUP Supports Bill to Protect Reserves
posted (January 27, 2017)
And, if the Prime Minister seemed especially accommodating and apologetic, it's because, as you heard, he was trying to get the opposition's support for the bill. Now, getting bi-partisan support for any legislation is extremely rare. And, today, the opposition was none too happy about seeing the bill for the first time when they arrived at 9:00 for the House Meeting at 10:00. With that the debate did not seem encouraging for bi-partisan support.

Hon. John Briceño- Leader of the Opposition
"We on this side of the House we will always stand up for Belize. But at the same time we also have an obligation to the people we represent in our constituencies and also this country to be able to get into a meaningful debate whenever these bills are presented on to us. We're trying to pass legislation to prevent this man to come after our assets, something that I fully support that we have to protect our foreign reserves and we can't allow this man who from time to time behaves like a predator coming after us. It's not that point. But the point that I am making is that it is just not right. It is just not fair that the Prime Minister and his government throw this at us without us really sitting down and studying properly."

Hon. Kareem Musa- PUP Caribbean Shores
"This matter, when they acquired BTL, should have been settled 8 long years ago. But instead madam speaker, it was dragged on through the courts all the way to the CCJ resulting in $27 million dollars in litigation fees alone. And today what we have is another knee jerk reaction by this government. And one that is disgraceful because they are doing it by ambush. They knew about this from Tuesday of this week, madam speaker. And they presented the bill to us this morning at this very later hour and asked us red-blooded Belizeans- and to correct you Mr. Prime Minister, I am a red, white and blue blooded Belizean, not just red blooded- but expecting us to actually support a bill that is a knee jerk reaction to the Prime Minister declaring war on Mr. Ashcroft. And as the member for Mesopotamia rightly pointed out, all that this is going to result in is more and more and more litigation, more and more and more interest. When are you going to get the sense? Madam speaker, for the record and before I am even misconstrued member for Port, I don't believe Michael Ashcroft should get another dollar. That is my position. But I also agree that the Barrow family should not get another dollar either in litigation fees."

Hon. Patrick Faber- UDP Collet
"I listened as the member for Caribbean shores talked about how this should have been settled from then, criticizing the Prime Minister, madam speaker, for taking the very powerful stance that he took- that he would not honor the accommodation agreement and that he would consider that completely illegal and out of order. We support the Prime Minister in that respect. How could you call yourself a Belizean, how could you say you love this country, if what it is in effect you said that the Prime Minister should have embraced the accommodation agreement and made all of those settlements and paid out? This is what they are saying: We should not, madam speaker, even make this move now- if you follow them- because it is going to cost further litigation- that's what in effect he is saying."

"You didn't say that? Then what is it we are supposed to do? You said that the member for Mesopotamia pointed out that litigation after litigation will come. The leader of the opposition said this will open up ants nest, so to speak madam speaker, of more cases to come. What would they have the Prime Minister do?"

Hon. Julius Espat- PUP Cayo South
"And then my honorable friend says he is proud. We are a proud Belizean because we nationalized BTL and we did x and we did y. But how can we be proud when we are broke, madam speaker? The country is broke, madam speaker. I am just listening and referring to the things that this gentleman said to be able to defend what the Prime Minister has proposed. And so, I do not believe that we can continue with this litigation over and over when we know what the end result will be. Only the attorneys benefit and our people never do."

Hon. Oscar Requeña- PUP Toledo West
"The bottom line has to be: has the Belizean people benefitted? Has Belize improved by way of acquiring BTL? The record is madam speaker, that we keep losing money. And as members of this side, my colleagues, said, the truth of the matter is that Ashcroft continues to make money, the lawyers- and we know who they are- the well-connected UDP lawyers continue to make money but the Belizean people continue to foot the bill. And that is an injustice to our country and to our poor Belizeans who have to be paying taxes, madam speaker. The question is will this put an end to the whole process of litigation, we don't have any assurances. What assurances do we have madam speaker? That is the question."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington- UDP Pickstock
"The real reason for this legislation is to try to bring litigation to an end, you know. That is what this is all about. To take criminal action against those who will perpetrate litigation with respect to this matter. That is basically what this is all about. That is what this is all about. It is to try to stop the litigation- to prevent people from taking legal action to get at the assets of the central bank. That is to bring an end to litigation."

Hon. Cordel Hyde- PUP Lake Independence
"It would seem that in September, and the months leading up to that in 2015, everything was nice man. There were conversations abroad. There were settlements to be discussed. So why didn't we settle everything once and for all man? Why didn't we settle these things once and for all? We have fu come bak yah again man? We have to suffer through more than once? When this a stop breda? I pray that these legislations put an end to that, you know, but I nuh sure that that a happen, you know. But I pray to god it does. Uno had an opportunity fu sort it out so uno sort it out, come on man. But uno have to stop play fu he game, 'cause every time we play fu he game we lose. Heads, same way, tails, same way, he no lose. Come on man. Of course we fu defend weself. And you a much stronger if you get the members on this side, on your side too, instead of try treat we as if though we da jokes man, we represent people. Come on man."

"I think that we have to fight this man, but I wah see a plan fu do this man. Every time we come here do just fih do wah lee legislation and then later down ih get strike down. And we stay yah forever. I no deh pan that man. We need fu put this behind we and try figure out how we move forward. Yo dig? We really need fu do that man. We need fu stop Ashcroft you know, once and for all."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow- Prime Minister
"They asked well; when we settled in terms of BTL, when we agreed that we would in fact pay whatever award the tribunal would find as compensation, why they said did we not settle these other matters? Please, draw the distinction for yourselves and for the Belizean people. We are talking about two different things. You could settle for the acquisition of BTL because that was property that we took and we were therefore obliged to pay for. When, though, we did settle the issue of the compensation for BTL, you asked why we didn't settle these other things. Well, it's one thing to settle an issue where you took property from this man- and you must compensate him- and settle something where he is making claims based on agreements that your side concluded with him that were secret- bad enough- but that, as has been pronounced on by various courts, were improper, illegal, unconstitutional, immoral, repugnant and void. I could never have settled those. How on earth would I do that and face the Belizean people? We said from the beginning, and all of us on this side were absolutely clear on that. We will not settle those illegal agreements. I still hope that in terms of the vote, we can show to the Belizean people a united front on this all important fundamental issue."

And so when the debate was done, the government side called for a division - that means all 31 members would have to state their vote in favour, or against. All the UDP's voted in favour, but what about the PUP's? We pick up the vote with opposition leader John Briceno:...

The bill assigns a penalty of two years in jail or a fine of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

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