The Prime Minister recently returned from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda. And his presence did make a difference. Of the 96 points on the final communiqué, 3 are dedicated to Belize. They say, "that heads of government expressed their satisfaction that the process of the relocation of the Guatemala settlement of Santa Rosa, from Belizean to Guatemalan territory is underway and will be completed shortly." And add that "heads of government reiterated their firm support for the territorial integrity, security and sovereignty of Belize."
The Commonwealth Heads also mandated the Commonwealth Secretary-General to convene the ministerial committee on Belize whenever necessary. That's major backative and big news but not as big as the story behind Belize's contingent to the Kampala meeting.
The Prime Minister left for that meeting last week and so did his Tourism Minister Godfrey Smith. But they weren't traveling together or even as a part of the same delegation. The Prime Minister left Belize on American Airlines, but Minister Smith left London on "Air Ashcroft." That's right, while the PM flew commercial carriers Smith was the guest of Lord Michael Ashcroft aboard his private jet.
Information reaching 7NEWS says that Smith and Ashcroft left London on November 23rd and flew to the island of Malaga in Spain, and from there to Uganda - where our sources say, they were listed as observers, and not part of the official Belize delegation. We were unable to reach Minister Smith for comment but he has flown with Ashcroft on his jet before to another African nation. In April, he visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Ashcroft and British Shadow Minister for International Affairs, Andrew Mitchell. And that time he wasn't on official business. Smith told us, "it was a private invitation to join some parliamentarians to see what's happening in another part of the world on international issues."
