They just don't stop, and last night, the West Landivar Citizens Action Committee kept up the pressure on developer David Gegg. Last night they held a community meeting and the committee got politicians of every hue to denounce the Gegg project and declare their support for the citizens. Still, well-meaning and political platitudes words don't go far with this result oriented community group; they want proof. And last night - they held area representative Jose Coye accountable for that proof. Courtesy of video from the committee, we've put together this synopsis of a quite long and heated meeting.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Political adversaries sat at the head table shoulder to shoulder with each other - as Joe Coye, the area representative; Carlos Perdomo, the man who is challenging him in the next election; deputy mayor Anthony Michael and councilor Leila Peyrefitte - shared the front table to answer to what is clearly a powerful lobby - the residents and voters of West Landivar.
Anthony Michael, Deputy Mayor
"This is not about politics, what is red or what is blue. This is what the Minister indicated, this is Belizean standing up for your rights to preserve what you have. The City Council stands proudly behind the residents of West Landivar in this project. Once it is here in the West Landivar, the City Council will not grant trade licenses for this project."
Hon. Jose Coye, Area Rep. Caribbean Shores
"I remain committed as I said to use my best efforts to ensure that the will of the people of this community will be actualized and that I remain committed to. I have had meetings since with the Minister himself. I had meeting so far with Mr. Gegg himself to go back to the position that I encouraged him to do years ago, to look for an alternative place (because) the people of this community will not accept a project of that magnitude because it will adverse to the environment and to the peace and tranquility. That position remains with me."
Carlos Perdomo, UDP Standard Bearer - Caribbean Shores
"Mr. Gegg seems to be able to get documents from Forestry, to cut the mangroves. He seems to be able to get documents from some authority called the Central Housing Authority under somebody else's name to start construction of the project."
Hon. Jose Coye,
"My answer to the standard bearer is that the City Council met as a body and decided not to give a trade license and they have given the answer. I as area representative spoke with the Minister of Lands and he gave me the assurance that they will not proceed and I am taking that to be so."
But it was Coye who had to rise time and time again to defend that same perplexing government position: that he is squarely against the project - and he says the Minister of lands is as well, but still permits continue to be granted from that Ministry. Coye says he has the word of the Minister who was asked for more than a commitment.
Rhenae Nunez, West Landivar Resident
"And I need to know that our leaders, both you Mr. Perdomo and you Mr. Coye, flex more muscle behind us. To just give us lip service and say you are behind us, frankly it is b.s. to me."
Hon. Jose Coye,
"Mr. Gegg succeeded to get certain permits from the Department of the Environment or where he got it from, yes if you believe he should not have gotten it, take action against him. I will not stand here and suggest in anyway that the Minister himself was in anyway involved in giving directives to none of those people in those department to tell them give Mr. Gegg his permit. If in anyway they gave a permit contrary to the technical advice that they should have given themselves, then to me something should be done to them."
West Landivar Resident #2,
"Mr. Coye, the West Landivar citizens have filed three lawsuits. How many more lawsuits will it take for you to take action, for the government to do something? As the young lady was saying, it is the citizens here that are spending and spending and spending. Why can't you see that? Why can the government see that? We don't have that kind of money but we are willing to fight for what we have but it should not be that way. So what else in addition to the lawsuit will it take for you to take a stand or for your government to take a stand and tell Mr. Gegg that you've cancelled his lease."
West Landivar Resident #3,
"I don't see the problem because both political parties in the country have taken away land from people and if the UDP wins tomorrow I am sure they are going to take away land from people that supposedly are PUP so what is it the big deal of dealing away this piece of land from Gegg. I don't see the problem with that, just take it away from him. Its been done before. Mr. Joe you have the power to do that because you have done that before, your government has done it before so you could do it again. What is the big deal? Who is Me. Gegg that they can't take away his land for a community and it is a leased land at that."
Hon. Jose Coye,
"I don't have any reason to believe that the Minister would proceed to give any title. As far as I am concerned, that has been put on hold and they are looking at the process of what to do with it in the cancellation."
Tania Moody, Attorney for West Landivar Residents
"But it's not the residents who are supposed to be in court fighting this you know. As the area representative of this area, it is your duty to approach these departments and try to work out the matter and I think everyone here today wants it in writing, concrete, in a swift and efficient manner."
Hon. Jose Coye,
"Nobody, no resident, no voter, no PUP, no UDP, will railroad me. Let us get that quite clear. I have given my commitment to the people of this constituency so I don't want anybody to be coming out here trying to believe they can put me in a position that I am backsliding and I am only talking and I don't mean what I am saying. I understand the politics of Belize City and West Landivar and this whole country. I will not be intimidated by any people who are involved in driving a partisan agenda; I will deal with that at my level. My commitment remains to you all and I have no intention of backing back. I stand by that."
Coye said that the Minister of Natural Resources was traveling and he expected to have a follow up meeting with him this week.
