This morning, there was a very short Senate Meeting at the National Assembly Building in Belmopan to address 2 motions brought by the Briceno Government.
As viewers are aware, there are several pieces of draft legislation that has been passed by the House. Those include the Central Bank of Belize Amendment Bill of 2021, the Finance and Audit Reform Amendment Bill of 2021, and the Public Contracts Commission Bill of 2021. Shortly after the Leader of Government Business tabled them in the Senate, he announced that the Senators had agreed to halt the process of their passage through the Upper House. That pause was being done so that the Committee of the Whole Senate could review them more carefully.
The suspension of the standing orders on those bills then set the stage for a Senate meeting which lasted a little over 40 minutes. In that time, the Senate then turned to nominees who will form the next Elections and Boundaries Commission.
Viewers will remember how the incoming administration pressured former Chairman, Estevan Perrera, to step down so that they could appoint his replacement. It is part of the clean slate that the new administration thinks should be afforded to any new government.
Perrera later resigned on his own terms and today, the Senate confirmed his replacement, as well as the other members who have been selected by both the Government and the Opposition. Here are the comments from today's meeting when the motion was presented in the Senate:
Hon. Eamon Courtenay - Leader of Government Business
"Whereas the Prime Minister, after due consultation with, and having used his best endeavors to secure the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition intends to advise the Governor-General that Mr. Oscar Sabido Puga be appointed as the Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission for a period of 5 years, with effect from 1st February 2021. And whereas the Prime Minister, after due consultation after due consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, intends to advise the Governor-General that Mr. Orlando Espat and Mr. Conrad Lewis be appointed as members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission for a period of 5 years, with effect from 1st February 2021, and whereas the Prime Minister, with the concurrence of the Leader of the Opposition, intends to advise the Governor-General that Mrs. Phillipa Griffith-Bailey and Mr. Alberto August be appointed as members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission for a period of 5 years, with effect from 1st February 2021."
Hon. Osmany Salas - NGO Senator
"I wish we would have received the CVs earlier. I also note that we did not receive all 5 CVs. There is one, at least from my package, there is one missing. We received these CVs just this morning, so we are scrambling to look through them. I can see that in the case of the proposed chairman that he is highly experienced for such a position."
"I don't think we were given sufficient time to give due consideration to the nominees for the Commission."
"If we look at what some of our sister nations have done. There are very good templates that we can follow that can guide us to ensure that we have an independent and adequately-resourced Commission, rather than the 2 electoral management bodies that we have in the country, where we have a commission that is effectively a shell, with the exception of the aspects that deal with redistricting. That is, I think their principal role. They should come up with proposals to table at the National Assembly."
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - UDP Senator
"Indeed there's one CV that's missing, and that is of Mr. Alberto August. But having served before and appointed by the Senate before, his CV is already on file, along with Mrs. Phillipa Bailey, who is a currently serving member. So, she's only returning. But, in terms of the Chairman, Mr. Sabido, if I may say as
well about Mr. August. He is the longest-serving member of the Commission ever, 13 years. And it was under his chairmanship that the Department adopted the simultaneous counting of ballots, reducing the time that it took between when polling was finished and counting started. And it reduced the number of public officers necessary for the process. So, we're talking about - in terms of from the Opposition's side - 2 seasoned veterans, when it comes to the Elections and Boundaries Commission."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Madam President, the curriculum vitae of Mr. Oscar Sabido Puga, Senior Counsel, speaks for itself. The curriculum vitae of Conrad Lewis speaks for itself. We have a trained teacher, a former senator, a former deputy clerk, and in fact, a former clerk of this August body. The persons nominated by the Prime Minister for Chairmanship and representing the Government are persons of high integrity and unquestionable standing in the society. With respect to reform, Madam President, I can assure and speak with confidence, and assure Senator Salas, that as a part of the mandate of political reform approved by the people resoundingly on the 11th of November, 2020, we will have the reform of the Elections and Boundaries Commission during this term."
At the end of the meeting, the motion was passed in the Senate and so, a new Elections and Boundaries Commission has been appointed. Those members again are Chairman Oscar Sabido Puga, as well as the PUP's 2 picks: Orlando Espat and Conrad Lewis. The UDP has selected Phillipa Bailey and Alberto August as their commissioners at Elections and Boundaries.
