The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today got a half a million Belize dollar grant to launch its Public Awareness and Preparedness campaign on the question of referring Guatemala's claim to the ICJ.
The US is providing the funds, while the United Nations Development Program is providing the funds. In a ceremony held today at the Laing building, The Foreign Minister said the grant's legitimacy is bolstered by the sponsors:..
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"In this venture as you have already heard, the United Nations Development Program and the Central American Region Security Initiative (CARSI) are partnering for 10 months with the government of Belize in assisting in the discharge of the governments obligation to educate the Belizean electorate on all issues relating to the referendum schedule for April 10, 2019 and of course assistance will also be afforded to strengthen the voter registration process, specifically the project will provide support for the implementation of an education campaign focus on increasing voter re-registration particularly among underserved and disperse rural populations."
Adrienne Galanek, Charge d affaires, United States
"The grant we are launching today has 2 separate, but link pieces. First, it will support the voter re-registration process which just kicked off this week. Second, it will support the government of Belize's efforts to hold an inclusive education campaign leading up to the April 10, 2019 referendum."
Karen Bernard, Deputy Resident Rep., - UNDP
"Voting processes such as the referendum referring to the territorial dispute with Guatemala are fundamental in every vibrant modern democracy and voting on matters of national significance is one of the rights that citizens hold."
Adrienne Galanek, Charge d affaires, United States
"The government of Belize's education campaign to disseminate as much good information as possible on the history of the dispute, the decades of efforts to solve it., the ICJ itself and the question being pose in the referendum is critical to the ability of individual voters to make an informed decision."
"The resolution of the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala is critical to the citizen's security of Belize and the region."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"It is my view most fitting and greatly comforting that our government is partnering with the premier multilateral institution in the world, United Nations, a continuation, as well as of course with the only super power in the world."
And after he praised the superpower, Elrington went on to say that anyone who doesn't support going to the ICJ, has "got to be crazy". One more politically incorrect quote, that will ring for years, but the Foreign Minister had no apologies:...
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"What I find particularly exciting about this particular launch is the fact that we have for the world to see the support that we have for the initiative being given by the premier multilateral institutions in the world, the United Nations. So the United Nations is fully supportive of the initiative between Belize and Guatemala to take the matter to the ICJ and so is the United States."
Reporter
"But implicitly, the support is for a yes vote. To say yes to the ICJ. That is why they..."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"In my view and I here I am not going to be politically correct. But if you are threatened by a huge neighbor for over 100 years and you do not think that that threat should be put behind you once and for all in a peaceful way and in the most acceptable way known to humanity, then something has got to be crazy with you. If you do not understand the importance of a yes vote in this kind of circumstance, especially given the fact that this is an issue. This is not a game we are playing and this is not an issue where we have a second or third chance. This is one chance."
"You know how long it took us to get to this point? Almost 100 years. Are we going to blow it? And is there anybody who is offering any rational valid reason why we should want to blow it? You got to be crazy. That's how I see it. Now I am not speaking so much as foreign minister as I am speaking as Wilfred Elrington who has spent 6 decades fighting to have this Belize/Guatemala issue resolved. This is for the reason for I getting into politics and as soon as this is resolve I will get out of politics and give other people a chance."
Reporter
"Can you describe this campaign? What really does it entailed?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"It simply entails giving to Belizeans the history of the dispute, exposing them to the legal arguments why we think it should be resolved at the ICJ and exposing them to the political argument as to why we think a peaceful settlement that the ICJ will be in the best interest of all Belizeans. That is what thy..."
Reporter
"That is a pure ICJ education campaign."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"It's an educational campaign that cannot help being a pro-ICJ campaign for the very simple reason that all indications are that that is the wisest thing to do. Why would anybody want to offer an anti-ICJ when in truth and in fact we are in such a tenuous position? So that it is inevitable that anybody in their right mind would want to advocate for a yes vote. I don't think I am not in my right mind."
The US is providing funding through CARSI. THE UNDP will provide technical support.
