Government's lead negotiator on reform, Foreign Affairs Minister Godfrey Smith, today said despite the Public Service Union's decision to strike, negotiations will continue and so will the work of government. Smith said the strike has not shutdown the government but adds that it is in GOB's best interest to get back public officers back on the job as soon as possible. Smith further noted that Belizeans haven't lost confidence in the government; rather his government has lost credibility.
Godfrey Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism
"I think the work of government continues. Obviously I've been in Belize City all day, in meetings, so I can't attest for department by department. But obviously its not a situation we would wish be prolonged. We wish it to be cut as short as possible so the full business of government can continue as quickly as possible. The government continues to function, this meeting here is a clear demonstration that we continue to work, that we continue to produce results. Do we want it to end as quickly as possible? Yes. Would we prefer things to get back to normal as early as possible? The answer is yes but we can't move it faster than it would move itself; there are other people at the table here."
"I would not agree with you that we have lost the confidence of the people. Loss of confidence of people is demonstrated in elections. If you would ask me have I lost the confidence of my voters in Pickstock, I would say to you that the answer to that is no. So one has to be careful when we use a blanket expression 'loss of confidence.' Whether there is a loss of credibility, I would freely admit yes there has been a loss of credibility. Yes people are upset with, as you put it, mismanagement. The government, the Prime Minister himself, has admitted that there have been excesses, there have been errors, and yes in the entire machinery of government, yes there has been mismanagement."
And while government continued operations, however undermanned, today Water Service countrywide was cut off from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Schools countrywide, primary, secondary and tertiary, public and private, denominational and non denominational and remained close for a record seventh day. There was also an extended power outage recorded in San Ignacio this morning but BEL's Public Relations Manager says it was planned for maintenance purposes. Hospitals countrywide reported that doctors and professional support staff did not show up to work. At the country's biggest hospital, the KHMH, the emergency room was in operations, but specialist clinics had to be cancelled and 20 staffers did not show up for work.
