And while it certainly doesn't help the government's case, it does build the Opposition's case that the document's existence is suspect, and the handling of it very suspicious. Those condemnations from the Opposition, and a Cabinet member, were joined today by the business sector Senator Godwin Hulse. He went to view the document at 10:30 this morning, and he says that it's a blank check, what he characterized as outrageous.
Senator Godwin Hulse, Business Sector
"Who on earth would give anybody, especially a government, a blank check - an open ended guarantee that whatever amount you say we are bound to accept. I will conclude Jules it had to be under duress. I cannot say anything else but it had to be under duress and I would like to see if any member of the Cabinet when they review this, if they have not already, would support it. And I would say if the Prime Minister issued a guarantee and his colleagues don't support it, he must have lost their confidence.
Quite frankly to me, I just felt that this was a complete betrayal of the Belizean trust, in a way. How could any government and how could any representative sign on to a document on behalf of a private company, you know I've always said I am not paying any private sector debt. But this is for a private company in favor of a private bank and saying, it's all yours - you two keep going and whatever amounts that is outstanding at anytime, we are prepared to cover.
My own gut feeling is that if it existed at the time, and I will not argue whether it did or didn't, that is not here nor there with me, I want to say categorically and definitively that there is no guarantee in favor of the Belize Bank. There is a document signed by the Prime Minister purporting to guarantee, maybe it gives comfort to the Belize Bank.
There is a clause in there which talks about notwithstanding any other commitments etc. this will stand. Well I think the attorneys of the Belize Bank should know that nothing is bigger than the constitution and nothing is bigger than the laws of Belize and as far as I am concerned, because it does not have the stamp of approval of the National Assembly, which is the only institution, particularly the House of Representatives, charged with spending the people's money, there is no guarantee. It is a worthless piece of paper as far as I am concerned.
So I am not going to get into the merits or demerits and whether in fact it existed then and was signed or not, that is scientific. I am getting into the functional of it. It cannot be paid unless, unless 21 elected members or 29 elected members or any part thereof in the majority get up in the House and say, 'I, we will pay it.'
And I want to see any Representative standing up and saying, 'my fellow area that I represent, my colleagues in that area that I represent, I vote to pay $33 million or whatever sum it is to the Belize Bank in favor of Universal and I so do and I'll be coming back to you for a vote so you can send me back to Belmopan.' I dare anybody in that House to stand up and say that statement."
And while Hulse saw it today, by later this week, all will be able to enjoy it. Cabinet Secretary Bobby Leslie confirmed that the entire guarantee document will shortly be released to the public. And while the controversy over the guarantee simmers, the Prime Minister left the country today for a two week official visit to Taiwan. Deputy John Briceno is acting Prime Minister.
