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Hon. Julius Espat Walks Out, Not Dragged Out
posted (August 18, 2017)
But going back to today's House Meeting, Cayo South Representative Julius Espat did it again! He clashed with the speaker over the very same subject that got him carried out of the house by police exactly one year ago!

51 weeks ago on August 26, 2016, he insisted that he would speak on the audit of the Immigration Department - and when the speaker did not allow him, and ordered him to leave the house, Espat refused to budge, forcing police to drag him out - certainly the most shameful, eye-popping moment in Belize's parliamentary history.

Well today - on the adjournment Espat asked to speak again on the latest report coming form the Auditor General's office. But, just as in the last case - the speaker did not permit him, except this time, he played it cool, and simply walked out. Here's how the whole exchange went:..

Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Cayo South Area Rep.
"I rise today on a matter of public concern and that is the auditor general's report for the year 2012-2013, I want to make some comments."

Laura Longsworth - House Speaker
"Sorry honorable member that will refer to committee."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Yes, mam but I am the chairman of the public accounts committee and I can refer to it."

Laura Longsworth
"But we haven't had the report from you yet."

Hon. Julius Espat
"No mam, but I'm just making some comments in reference to it. I'm not reporting on it."

Laura Longsworth
"But that's unusual isn't it?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"No mam, last year it was allowed even though I was kicked out, it was allowed initially."

Laura Longsworth
"Thanks for reminding me, honorable member."

Hon. Julius Espat
"And I wouldn't like for that to be repeated madam speaker."

Laura Longsworth
"[laughs], me neither but at the end of the day as we've discussed before we'd like you to..."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Yes mam, but this is the only opportunity that opposition members have to be able to show transparency by means of ventilating the issues."

Laura Longsworth
"Honourable member, we know the House rules, we have referred it to you, you are the Chair, right?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"Yes mam."

Laura Longsworth
"Can we move on from that?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"I can't mam, because this is exactly what we need to do."

Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the opposition
"You can also give the leeway to allow the honorable member to speak on such an important matter. The entire country is expecting us to say something about this today because they are just getting bits and pieces of the rank corruption that has been taken place under this government, madam speaker. So I'm urging you to please allow the gentleman to speak."

Laura Longsworth - House Speaker
"Honorable opposition leader, you are also aware that these matters have to have permission prior to the meetings. I am kindly asking to adhere to the rules of the House."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Madam Speaker, if I may, I am extremely disappointed on your decision, madam speaker, but I would just like to inform you that a letter was sent to you this morning and that I will be convening public hearings on the public's account committee based on the report, madam Speaker."

Laura Longsworth
"Yes, I have it here."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Because this issue has to be ventilated, the Belizean people have to get to the bottom of it and it is a sad day today that again we are going down the road the undemocratic way, Madam Speaker, when you are not allowing members of this legislator to be able to ventilate the issues that are hurting us Madam Speaker. But we will leave it as that. Thank you very much."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Madam Speaker, sorry, I have to protest. That's very unfair for the member to suggest that because you are regulating the business of the House in accordance with the standing orders that you're undemocratic. You can't debate something before it has gone to the PAC. He has already announced publicly that he will summon a meeting of the PAC, hallelujah! And that is where everything will be…you see? And then you have to behave like…anyway. Madam Speaker I take offense that he should accuse you of being undemocratic."

Jules Vasquez - reporter
"You're walking out again."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Yes."

Jules Vasquez
"You know the rules, sir; they've been explained to you. The rule is you can't speak about a matter..."

Hon. Julius Espat
"No, that's a rule that they make up."

Jules Vasquez
"It's called the standing orders, sir."

Hon. Julius Espat
"No, the standing orders give you the right to speak on any issue."

Jules Vasquez
"Yes but this is a matter before the House that you will chair."

Hon. Julius Espat
"No, the rules does not say that you can't speak on something that's stable. It is quite clear in the adjournment; it says that any member of the House can speak on any issue of public importance. And this, in my opinion, is one of the major important issues that's being highlighted right now."

Jules Vasquez
"Ok, I want to ask you what's important in there but one second. Why when you walked out your party didn't follow you?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"I'm not the leader of the party."

Jules Vasquez
"But sir, it's an old tradition in parliament, you touch one you touch all."

Hon. Julius Espat
"I don't follow the old traditions. I believe that we have to make drastic changes and I stand for what I believe in."

Hipolito Novelo - Reporter
"You signaled them to follow you."

Hon. Julius Espat
"I asked the party leader what will happen next, I didn't signal him. I can't signal him."

Hipolito Novelo
"But you expected them to follow you?"

Hon. Julius Espat
"They didn't follow me the last time, so, no. I don't expect anything from anybody."

Jules Vasquez
"But sir, this is serial behavior."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Are we gonna speak on a serious issue or are we gonna play games? What do you want to know?"

Jules Vasquez
"But sir, what concerns me is that you are a representative of the people and you are showing serial behavior."

Hon. Julius Espat
"What is serial behavior, to stand up for your rights?"

"Fu go on like bad pickni. You have to play by the rules, I don't want to be unkind honorable sir."

Hon. Julius Espat
"Jules, if standing up for what you believe in, if standing up for something that's undemocratic, if standing up to a corrupt government is acting like bad pickni, then maybe I am a bad pickni. And I have no fear in saying that and I have no shame in saying that. That is the role that I play as an opposition member, that is the role that I should play as the chairman of the PAC and that is the role that the people of Cayo South elected me to do."

Hipolito Novel - Reporter
"Sir, but, as we've seen in previous occasions that if you don't get it your way you get carried out. You don't see anything wrong with that? - Always walking out."

Hon. Julius Espat
"I see something wrong with Belizeans not standing up for their rights. I see things that reporters are not reporting on things objectively. I see leaders that are being paid to do their job and sit and do nothing. I have a problem with that."

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