36 days and US$1.8 million in contempt charges after a Miami Federal Court ordered it, the Government of Belize is expected to participate in a BTL board meeting tomorrow where there will be four ICC directors, and four GOB/E-com directors. We say GOB/E-com because all indications are that Michael Ashcroft is not budging an inch from the ruling of the Belize Supreme Court and will keep his three directors. That meeting is expected to finally stop the very costly contempt meter from running but not much else is expected to be accomplished from a deadlocked board.
One group that's monitoring developments very closely is the Communication Workers Union. Union President Paul Perriot and management representative Mark Usher today called on all sides to act decisively to purge the contempt.
Mark Usher, BTL Management Representative
"We definitely hope that all the main parties involved, the Ashcroft group and GOB, that they make sure that they concede to the 4 - 4 board to make sure that the situation with the Miami ruling comes to an end. Everyday its $50,000 being levied on the country of Belize. Its an issue of national interest for all of us and as management and staff within BTL we are appealing that GOB and Michael Ashcroft they make sure that they are present at that board meeting and they do the right thing. As far as the 4 - 4 is concerned that is another critical thing for us. If under the 4 - 4 structure the board should be 4 GOB directors and now we see that GOB has only appointed one, I think its Mr. Arnold and there will be 3 Carlisle people there. It can be interpreted again as another contempt. It is critical for the Belizean public to understand the implications of such a make up, a 4 - 4 makeup that sounds like GOB and Carlisle will put forth tomorrow and that is not good, at least in our view Jules. When it is that you going to now present a board, or you probably going to force GOB to present a 4 representation of which 3 of your people are there and you know that will agitate the Miami court some more, then you are not telling me that you are really concerned about this country because then the $50,000 fine will come out of taxpayers money and I can only interpret that as the Ashcroft dude don't really care about that fine that's being levied. All he wants to do is to continue to put this country in a position where the government has to run back to him."
