Politics and Government

The national referendum scheduled for April 10, 2019, on whether to settle the Guatemalan claim to Belize at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been postponed after Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin granted an interim injunction sought by the People’s United Party (PUP). The decision was handed over on Wednesday, April 3rd at the Supreme Court in Belize City. A new referendum date will not be announced until a claim on the writ of the referendum is heard in its first session scheduled for Monday, April 8th. Chief Justice Benjamin noted that there is an arguable case and that Prime Minister Right Honorable Dean Barrow did not properly follow the law when he had the Governor General sign the writ to proceed with the referendum.

This legal move is spearheaded by the Opposition, the People’s United Party, who hope to stop/delay the referendum via an interim injunction. The Supreme Court will deliver a verdict in the first week of April on whether the referendum is held or postponed to a later date.

The Vital Statistics Unit in Belize City, where every Belizean citizen gets a birth certificate and other documents of identification, has come under scrutiny after thousands of Belizeans complained they could not get their birth papers. The issue has prompted the Leader of the Opposition and People’s United Party (PUP), Honourable John Briceño to protest on the ongoing problem in a show of support for the affected citizens.

On Friday, January 18th, Honourable John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition- the People’s United Party (PUP), visited San Pedro Town, where he and his team wrapped up a nationwide listening tour on whether Belize should take the Guatemalan territorial claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

PM Barrow shared that Belize values the relationship shared with Cuba, and he expressed his admiration for the strength of the Cuban people and all their achievements since the Cuban Revolution.

A petition from the Belize Rural South (BRS) People’s United Party (PUP) to remove 15 persons registered to vote in the BRS constituency was dismissed by the San Pedro Magistrate Court on Wednesday, December 5th.

Cabinet at its meeting, November 27th, discussed the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) current trajectory heading towards the 2020 general elections.

Mayor Daniel Guerrero confirmed that after much pressure, as of May of 2018, the water taxi carrier began paying a flat monthly fee of $2,000. However, Area Representative Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr. is at odds with the SPTC, as he claims that the facility is being used by a small sailing boat called ‘La Gaviota,’ whose owner is not paying any fees. This is the alleged reason why the water taxi company had not been paying for the past months, as Heredia reportedly instructed them not to do so until the SPTC began charging the owner La Gaviota for using the said docking facility.