The legislation to activate the People's Constitution Commission was passed in the House on Monday, and, almost as an aside, the Prime Minister announced that the National Kriol Council would not have representation on the Commission. And, because of that, tonight, the National Kriol Council is expressing "disappointment and disbelief" at the exclusion.
They say they made representations in person and in writing to get on the Commission and there was a public undertaking by the Prime Minister to do so. But, when the draft legislation did not include the creoles - still, they clung to hope that it was just an oversight. But it wasn't - it's more like an official snub. In a release today, the council says, quote, "There are approximately 102, 000 persons who identify as Kriol living in Belize…it is unconscionable that this group of Belizeans can be excluded from such an important democratic process….the refusal to grant representation is an insult to Kriol people everywhere." End quote.
So, what went wrong? That's what the council's Marilyn Garvin is asking tonight. She spoke to Cherisse Halsall:
Marilyn Garvin, Interim President, National Kriol Council
"An interview with the PM no, and he indicated that they aren't going to add the council and anybody else to the commission so with us. Hearing that we tried to seek clarity from Mr. Ross, as to is that true, what is it because prior to that we had been hearing something separate and he actually sent an e-mail to us indicating you know what it was an oversight last time and we were apart of the commission so we are good with that. Where are we now with that. We are again feeling clarity and to us I feel like we are getting the runaround right. It isn't a sure yes or no. It's like he is saying something else but the PM is saying something else so who should we believe and where should we go from here so for us we thought it was very important that we just put it out there, a press release to basically say. I mean we are tired of it, we just want to know, are we a part of it and not, are we? We should be a part of the commission and you know seeing that we are representing a big population. We indicated that it's over 102,000 people, who consider themselves as Kriol an it's a fair representation whereby the council should be a part of the commission to have our voice be heard on behalf of those people."
Good governance director Cesar Ross is set to have a meeting with Minister Henry Charles Usher tomorrow morning after which a final decision on the inclusion of the Kriol council should be made. In the meantime, the council has addressed an additional letter to the PM and is eagerly awaiting his response.
