Outside the Senate Chamber, the UDP's lead Senator, Mike Peyrefitte amplified his remarks. He says the issue had come up at the official level months ago - and then talk died down. And then recently, the government re-engaged the opposition on it. Throughout, Peyrefitte says their position has been that it has to go to another referendum. But today, he claims he was ambushed:
Michael Peyrefitte - UDP Senator
"I informed my party of the position and we all agreed that if you're going to ambush us with that now today, we don't have any time to discuss that at all. So our position has to be what our position has always been and what we believe in that it should go to a referendum. I firmly believe that even though the senate is empowered to vote and pass treaties for the country, this is Belize and Guatemala and anything that has to do with that, the people need to be educated with that issue, explain to them the pros and the cons and have the people make a decision."
"Add to that, Honduras has given no official indication that they have any issue with Belize or Belize's control over the Sapodilla Range. The only country that has claim Belize is Guatemala. Honduras has never claimed us, Honduras has never had any issue with us, Honduras doesn't give us trouble - so why would we pick a fight for Honduras. When you go to court, yes, the possibility of this, the possibility of that. Even if the court doesn't decide on that area because of Honduras, at least we would have been done with Guatemala. All this does now is slow the process. All of that I wanted explain to the Belizean people so they could make a decision, not 13 people who nobody elect will come here and say pass a treaty to invoke the pact of Bogota so we can bring Honduras into an ICJ matter for which previously a referendum had to be held. So that's my issue with the whole thing."
