Whether you loved or loathed Queen Betty and all she represents, ain't nobody going to work on Monday as an act of protest. Every working Belizean who can, will gladly take that bonus holiday government has given on Monday, as Belize pauses to pay respect as our Head of State for the first 41 years of nationhood is laid to rest at Westminster Abbey.
It came as a surprise to some because it's the same PUP administration which took May 24th, Sovereign's Day off the holiday calendar. That day marked the birthday of Queen Victoria and had been observed in Belize for decades.
So, in view of this, today we asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Holidays Kareem Musa about why Cabinet decided to make Monday a one-time holiday. He said that it is a show of respect that many other Commonwealth countries are giving their deceased head of state, and Cabinet felt it should do the same - even if it incurs some controversy:
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries
"I know that it is certainly a controversial issue as to whether or not we should be granting the holiday, but cabinet in its wisdom decided that yes we would go ahead as she is indeed was our head of state and so we are going to acknowledge and respect her passing and observe Monday 19th as a national and public and bank holiday recognizing and paying respect to the Queen of England."
Jules Vasquez
"Are we manifesting a schizophrenic identity, because are the same minister and your government is the same government that remove sovereigns' day May 23rd as a holiday."
Hon. Kareem Musa
"Not at all Jules, as you know we are a very diverse country and there is so much culture, so much history that we are all apart of and it would be remised of us to just identify with one aspect of our history and so while yes on one hand many Belizeans feel as though acknowledging this colonial past is not something that we should actually be engaged in. There are a vast number of Belizeans out there who actually have a lot of respect, a lor of love and affinity for the Queen of England. She remains our head of state for some 41 years, to be a head of state in a post-independence era and so it is just a matter of paying our respects to our sovereign head of state."
Jules Vasquez
"Has the popularity of the Queen and her legacy and her memory, you all are politicians - has that had an affect on the thinking in the cabinet?"
Hon. Kareem Musa
"I wouldn't say so Jules. I saw your newscast last night and I did see some of the public opinion about the Queen and like you said so many of us Belizeans appreciate and love the Queen and are enamoured by the Queen and the whole story behind the monarchy, but at the same time I don't think that played any role in terms of deciding to make it a holiday or not. It's just a matter of paying our respects."
And so while Musa says Cabinet did not capitulate to popular public opinion - it may still run afoul of the business sector which has long been campaigning about the cost of holidays and the loss of revenue. Musa conceded it is an ongoing conversation:
Jules Vasquez
"Do you expect some blow back from the business community? I know there's been this ongoing debate over holidays."
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries
"The idea really is to try to limit the number of holidays to 13, but indeed this is an exceptional circumstance. This will then take it to 14 and I believe if I'm not mistaken 2021 did have 14 as well, but the idea and the thinking is that we have to try keep it at 13 each year. So looking forward to next year, that committee will be meeting and the recommendations will be made to cabinet."
