Last night we broke the news with the proposals of the Election and Boundaries re-division Task Force.
As we told you, they propose to eliminate two constituencies in the Belize District, namely Queens Square and Port Loyola - and then create four more: two in Cayo, One in Stann Creek and one in Orange Walk. That would increase the total number of electoral divisions to 33.
The Elections and Boundaries commission will consider the proposals and then submit their recommendation to the house by the middle of July.
The re-districting exercise will be the most significant change to Belize's electoral landscape, probably since 1984 - and more than a few politicians aren't too happy with the proposals. Not least of them the PUP's Gilroy Usher, who may soon be a part of the ruling party - but without a seat.
Today we asked the Prime Minister about the proposed changes and the politicians form his side of the house - who may find himself looking for a job:
Jules Vasquez
"What do you think of the proposals which the task force has put forward?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well, I'm not sure if I should be commenting on that as the prime minister of this country. What I do know, what I do agree that we have to make sure that whatever re-districting is done is something that can stand the scrutiny of the courts. We have been clear. It's not something that we can have our hands in. We do so indirectly both the government and the opposition, because we have members on the elections and boundaries commission, but that's not something for the cabinet to discuss."
Jules Vasquez
"Have you spoken to your member from Port Loyola? He put out a statement saying, don't go with Port Loyola, go with Fort George."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Yeah, I spoke to him briefly about it. I think that it was an error in judgement. It's something that should not have been done. As I pointed out to him, that's not something that we control. It is done through the elections and boundaries commission. So I'll leave as that."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, but lets us not talk falsely, you control the elections and boundaries. You appointed the majority of the members."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That may be so, but it does not mean that I practice it. I try to as best as possible to stay away from it."
Jules Vasquez
"The paid vice president of the senate, a PUP senator, Collet Montejo, the deputy secretary general of your party, is he a member of the re-districting task force that submitted that report?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I think we set up a committee and I believe that he is also one of them, but when you..."
Jules Vasquez
"It's a 5-member task force, but he is the 6th member."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know the details. As I pointed out to you, I try to stay away from it, but I just need to answer when you come about the paid vice president - we are a working government. I mean for instance, nowhere in the history of Belize you've had 25 house meetings and 25 senate meetings in two and a half years."
Jules Vasquez
"Well, only because of the money laundering and..."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"It has nothing to do with it."
Jules Vasquez
"Yes sir, every house meeting we call is because we have to pass new measures for the man."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"There you go again. I wish you could be a bit more responsive and to look at the work we are doing. There are so many other things that we have been doing. It's not only money laundering. These past few house meetings, yes, we have had to do some of them simply because well, the previous director was not pushing it as fast as possible of the FIU, we have to play catch-up and that's what we are doing. We should have finished all of these legislations by the end of May. Here we are at the end of June finishing it so that they can be reviewed, so that by December we hope that we will be able to get a passing mark."
For clarity, Senator Collet Montejo is listed as a member of the Task Force on the report's cover.
