But like the PUP, the unions are also blaming the UDP for failing to enact good governance legislation. But Peyrefitte says it's partly the union's fault as well. He explained the process of UNCAC that the UDP dealt with while they were in office, and said that they could not go further without input from the unions - input that they never got.
Reporter
"Would you accept that your government failed in implementing UNCAC and some of the legislations under UNCAC?"
Michael Peyrefitte- former AG
"Absolutely not. We did everything that we were supposed to do under UNCAC. Let me give you facts because people seem to have a wrong narrative. You heard Senator Montejo in there irresponsibly say that to assess Belize we chose Haiti and Tuvalu. That is not the case. We did not choose those countries. Those were chosen by the United Nations from a draw. The whole idea was to have one country that is physically near to yours and one that is as far as possible. Therefore you have Tuvalu which is in the Pacific and you have Haiti which is in our region. We met with the unions concerning UNCAC after the United Nations presented their report. The United Nations presented their report and said listen, these are the things that we believe that you need to do. I personally met with the unions and when we sat down with them I told them this is the document. Now you go for it and you tell us what your priorities are in terms of which of these you want to see pass. I met with them months before the general election. And they did not get back to me. Did not get back to me to say, of the things that you say you have here that were recommended by the United Nations, we want you to implement these. They have not done that. I believe there is a high chance that when I gave them the document they didn't even read it. When I met with them and I presented to them a solution that would require work then you can't make noise no more. Now you have to work. We had a crown council in the AG's Ministry that focused on nothing but UNCAC. We met with the unions with that crown council there. The crown council was the point of contact. The crown council has a total list of all the recommendations made by the UN. We told the unions, which of these do you want to see dealt with first. Get back to us, we will wait for you to get back to us. We are still waiting. So it is unfair for them to say we did not go through with UNCAC."
Peyrefitte explained that if the unions had gotten back to them, then they would have been able to follow through with the process.
Michael Peyrefitte- Former AG
"We got special recognition for being one of the only countries to always meet our deadlines whenever we had them. We did our assessments, we got the final report, we wanted to start to implement and pass the laws that were recommended, the Prime Minister instructed me after he met with the unions. He said, Mr. Attorney General, before you recommend the list to Cabinet of the laws that need to be passed, sit with the unions and see which of the laws are their priority. Let them tell you what the top 5 or the top 10 are, when they have given you that you come back to Cabinet and then we take steps to pass those laws. The Unions didn't get back to me. So what should I have done?"
Reporter
"But then that is putting the blame on the unions for the reason why the United Democratic Party did not implement the legislation."
Michale Peyrefitte- Former AG
"You dih get cute breda. You see, when we just go ahead and do things, the union says you don't consult me, you don't ask us anything, you don't give us input. So I said fine, before we implement anything, before we pass anything we will involve you. Tell me what you want and they still haven't told us. So are we to stay with the blame? Come on man."
