A week ago, we took you to the high court in Belize City where residents from several southern villages as well as representatives of the MLA and TAA were challenging the AG's decision to remove and replace the Indian Creek Alcalde and Deputy Alcalde.
According to their attorney Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, the government intervened in a process that is usually undertaken by the village. The residents vote for their Alcalde, and the council recommends the person to be appointed by the AG. However, the team at court explained that the government decided to go with the recommendation from the village council, and not the person who was voted in in the village meeting.
But today, the other side of that internal rift in the village came out to Belmopan to protest the lawsuit, saying that it was the majority of the villagers who voted for the current Alcalde, and not the other way around. Courtney Menzies was at the National Assembly today and has that story.
These Indian Creek Villagers woke up at dawn this morning and boarded a bus bound for Belmopan, bristol board placards in hand. They marched in front of the National Assembly to protest the current case in front of the High Court regarding their Alcalde.
The village ousted the previous Alcalde in October and voted in Manuel Ack. However, some villagers went to the MLA and the TAA to challenge Ack's appointment. They have retained Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith and attorney Leslie Mendez to challenge the removal of the former alcalde in the High Court.
They had their day in court one week ago, and today the villagers on the other side of the dispute came out to send a message to the government.
Anselmo Chulum, Village Council Member, Indian Creek Village
"We're here to prove and to clarify to the nation, to the government, that it is not so. It is the community of Indian Creek, and that is why we gathered these people today. We've left our community, we've come here to prove to the court, to prove to Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith that that is not so and that is the reason why we're here."
"I don't know why Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith is saying that because he's not in our community, I understand we do respect him for having a law firm and to take any matter that comes in front of him but we want to send a strong message to him and also to Maya Leaders Alliance, the TAA and the MLA, that the money that you're giving to Godfrey Smith could have sent an individual to school, to primary school, to secondary school, and even to tertiary level. That money could hav been used for that student and also could have helped the people who were affected by fires in Toledo. We don't see MLA faces out there, so these money that they're spending, it doesn't work for the community of Indian Creek because we decided, we elected our Alcalde and they must acknowledge the fact that we are the ones that want a new Alcalde, we see the reason why we want to change the Alcalde, not the government, not MLA, and not Senior Counsels."
And that reason, they say, it because the previous Alcalde, Jose Choc was preventing development within the village, most recently when it came to the electrification of the village. According to the current Alcalde, Manuel Ack, the people rightfully voted for him after a year of discontent with Choc.
Manuel Ack, Alcalde, Indian Creek Village
"They are saying that the village council itself elected me or put me to put an Alcalde for the village but it is not so. The people's choice, we are tired, even me, we wrote a petition to revoke this former Alcalde's position because we have a reason that he is refusing development of the community."
"We need development for our community, for our children, especially right now that the students are going to school, they have research for their work and we don't internet, we don't have anything else so that's why we applied back for the tower to be built in Indian Creek."
Donicio Sam, Resident, Indian Creek
"I think we all as a Belizean as resident of Indian Creek we have all rights to elect who we need to elect that make our community better. This Alcalde back and forth issue has been creating a big chaos, creating very big, huge problems in the community of Indian Creek and it's not bringing peace, it is not bringing unity with the community but they are doing, they are separating they dividing our community."
And they also say it's outsiders who are pulling the strings and causing the rift:
Anselmo Chulum, Village Council Member, Indian Creek Village
"It's about maybe 9 members of Indian Creek, the rest are outsiders. So that's the thing, we brought here our people of Indian Creek, we don't bring other people with us but the Maya Leaders when they come to court, they bring others that are not in Indian Creek so it's not working and then they claim that it's the Indian Creek Village when it's people from other villages that come and represent us and that's the reason people are upset and that's why we had to leave early dawn, paying our bus out of our pocket money to come a rectify this issue."
Donicio Sam, Resident, Indian Creek
"We the villagers decided what we want in our village, what we need to do in our village, not the MLA from outside, not Mr Mis, not Cristina, and not the TAA."
Courtney Menzies: "Why do you think there is this interference?"
Donicio Sam, Resident, Indian Creek
"So that's what we need to know, what is it that they really want? What is it that the MLA has to offer to the community? What is it, the good opportunity to offer to the community?There's really nothing, If you can look at what is happen right now, not just Indian Creek but look at what happened with Laguna and Yemeri Groove it's the same because of why MLA bridging problem not peace fighting against each other. If you know you are the head of MLA trying to help the people then be specific and come to the people tell them what is going on."
"Indian Creek people are very loved. They worked so hard I mean we are not fighting for anything but we need justice, we need justice. We need help we need the government to intervene and try to assist us in everything possible if they can."
And these villagers are hoping that the case - as well as the injunction preventing the Ack from carrying out his duties - will be dropped before the proceedings continue.
In response to the comment that the MLA could have put its money to better use rather than paying for high priced lawyers,
Attorney Godfrey Smith notes that he is working pro bono for the Maya Leaders and the Alcaldes.
