And while most of the fireworks at today's sitting came early on between government's bold backbenchers Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde, the Opposition was playing hardball too. Speaking on the adjournment, Mesopotamia Representative Michael Finnegan presented a sheaf of documents which he used to make the case that the Belize Airport Concession Company, which has been given the contract to privately manage the airport, is not servicing the airport's debt as agreed. Moreover, Finnegan made the case that government had given the private BACC a public guarantee to cover the debt it will incur to expand the airport. But when he was making that point, the Prime Minister stood to object, complaining to the Speaker that what Finnegan was presenting was no more than, "a tissue of lies." From there things went rapidly and ruinously downhill, and we present the calamitous end to today's sitting, uncut.
Michael Finnegan, UDP Mesopotamia Area Rep.
"In the event of default by the company under the loan agreement, and the guarantee shall subject to clause 2(3)..."
Said Musa, Prime Minister
[Interrupting Finnegan] "Madam Speaker what the member..."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker the member may reply after a member is done."
Said Musa,
"I'm trying to prevent misinformation going out to the Belizean people. The guarantee referred to in that document is the guarantee by BACC to the bank, not the guarantee of the government or the Airport Authority. Why do we insist on misleading the Belizean people?"
Elizabeth Zabenah, Speaker of the House
[Addressing Finnegan] "I'm still trying to find out what is your point."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker I don't care if you don't understand my point."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"You don't care but I care."
Michael Finnegan,
"I don't care what the Prime Minister says. He has been caught in these alleys and highways before and he used this same House in order to bring across distortions of the facts etc."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"So what is the point here?"
Michael Finnegan,
"If you and the Prime Minister will allow me to proceed, you may learn eventually."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"Let us bring the document that the Prime Minister wanted to see please."
Michael Finnegan,
"You are sending for my document to give the Prime Minister? Who gives you authority to do that Madam Speaker?"
Said Musa,
"Because she wants to stop you from fabrications in this House."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker anyhow."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"If you do not pass it so that the Prime Minister can see it we will not proceed."
Michael Finnegan,
"I think you're really out of hand, you're out of hand now."
Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
[To House Speaker] "You must be crazy."
Michael Finnegan,
"You make up the rules as we go along noh?"
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"It would want to seem so but right now I am going to adjourn this House."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker let me proceed."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"Prime Minister please move the adjournment."
Said Musa,
"Madam Speaker I move the adjournment of the House."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"Honorable members the question is the House will now adjourn. All those in favor kindly say aye, those again kindly say no. The House now stands adjourned."
Dean Barrow,
[Throws Cup of Water on Floor] "How will you adjourn the House while the member is talking?"
Said Musa,
"Because he is lying, too much lies."
Michael Finnegan,
"We have a crazy woman as the Speaker of the House; that's a crazy woman."
Jules Vasquez,
Explain to me your emotions right now about the National Assembly?
Dean Barrow,
"This lady is ridiculous Jules, we'll have to an emergency meeting next week, early, to determine how we will deal with this. Because she and the Prime Minister don't like what the Member is saying can be no reason to just abruptly adjourn the House in order to cut off the Honorable Finnegan; there is no standing order she can cite. Before that to tell that she would send the macebearer to get the document from his hands, so she can give it the Prime Minister, what is the authority of the Speaker for that? This is the worst I have ever seen it. There have been times before when we've been in Opposition and we've not been happy with some of the actions of the Speaker but no Speaker in history has ever done this sort of thing. This woman is absolutely is ridiculous. She needs to be removed otherwise we will consider our options."
Jules Vasquez,
And your options might be what, boycotting the National Assembly?
Dean Barrow,
"That is something we'll have to look at, I don't want to speak prematurely in the heat of anger. We have to balance that against the need of the people to be represented upon these meetings, but if this is the sort of thing that will happen we might as well not come. If our right to speak is going to be so illegally and arbitrarily terminated then we might as well not come."
