And while the opposition focused on the new revelations in the bank's affidavit, today at the Senate the battle was over the BTL Vesting legislation. On Friday you heard UDP representatives complain that it was special interest legislation prepared for and by the Belize Bank. Well today, business Senator Godwin Hulse pointed not to any special interest, but to the fact that the vesting bill is premised on a September 15, 2006 agreement. That is a still secret document that Hulse did not find any comfort in legislating for. Government Senator Anthony Chanona responded.
Senator Godwin Hulse, Business Sector
"Big issues for this Senate today is to act us to ratify, to approve the transfer based on an agreement we have absolutely no knowledge of. Is this some attempt to disrespect both Houses of Parliament? Are you going to say to me that there is an agreement, one which I have not seen, but I will get to that later, but an agreement which you have the authority to amend even up to the day when the Governor General pens it or am I not reading the English language correct.
My question is: so after House of Representatives has their debate, you adjust the agreement to suit what was reflected therein? And after the Senate has its debate, you adjust it to reflect was expressed in this Honorable House? And then just before the Governor General who obviously will also not see the agreement, you may adjust it again? And adjustments which appear subsequently down the road you'll say that was done prior to the Governor General signing it. What are you taking this House for?
You talk of an agreement you do not show us. You talk of an agreement that can be amended prior to the Governor General pens it. You talk about an agreement which is still not subject to be ratified by the Honorable House of Representatives, the elected body of the country, and the Honorable Senate of esteemed qualified people and an agreement which sets out to transfer assets and liabilities on terms of what has been agreed between two parties that we were not a party to.
Mr. President I find it incredible. Seated before me is your Honorable self, a long standing colleague of mine, very well trained officer of the court. Sitting before me is Senator Bradley, long standing well trained officer of the court. Senator Courtenay, somewhere is Senator Dolores and I am asking whether all you Honorable esteemed persons in your private capacities as attorneys, if I went to you with an agreement to pen, you would say to me, 'Godwin you are signing something you never read or you're signing something you never saw or you're signing something that could be amended thereafter. Boy from my legal position, I would advise you to don't even pull out the pen.'
You haven't showed me this agreement. Can you ask the highest legislative body in the land man? What do we look like, real true rubber stamp? What do we look like? Silly people? Come on man, don't do that to me. And if there is division Mr. President I would ask you to say know and if it passes, I will ask the Governor General to don't make the appointed day come tomorrow. Why would we do that? An agreement we have not seen. If it can stand the light of day, put it on this table in committee."
Senator Anthony Chanona, PUP
"On the matter of the agreement, Mr. President, I asked to see this agreement because in conscience I do not feel, having described my experience with the citrus industry, that I could pen my name to a yes vote in absence of seeing the agreement.
The document I gleaned appears to be straightforward, an agreement between
Belize Telecommunications Limited and Belize Telemedia Limited. I saw provisions which protect, stated in language, the workers and shareholders' interests.
So while I have had the benefit of seeing that agreement, I believe it would be in the interest of the Honorable Senate, on a notion of good governance, that this agreement be tabled to the Senate. I discussed this matter with my colleagues and with those who appoint me.
And I will say this on that notion, that the document I saw, 6 pages, is stamped confidential and it is a document between private entities and disclosure can only be given at their behest. I am not aware of the authority of the Senate under any standing order to subpoena such a document but I do feel that I should not be the privileged Senator who so desires."
In the end, the Vesting legislation passed with 5 opposing UDP and independent Senators voting no, and 6 government Senators voting yes. It now awaits the Governor General's signature to be passed into law. When it does, Belize Telecommunications Limited will become Belize Telemedia Limited.
In a related development, 7_NEWS_ has received reports from the BTL Communications Workers Union that a number of BTL employees who missed work on Friday to attend the protest in Belmopan have been suspended and will not be paid for missing work on Friday.
