Opposition Members Protest House Sitting Scheduled in Deviation of 5-Day Notice Protocol

The Opposition Members of the House have written a formal protest against the regular Sitting of the House scheduled for tomorrow. The Opposition says that tomorrow’s Sitting of the House deviates from the established protocol of providing five clear days’ notice.

In their letter to House Speaker, Valerie Woods, Opposition Members said, “Failure for this Honorable House to follow the 5-day notice protocol

disenfranchises the Opposition obstructing our ability to satisfy the required 5-day notice as per Standing Order 19(3) for the extremely crucial Questions to Ministers.”

The letter says that ” Questions to Ministers are one of the limited tools the Opposition has to compel the Government to answer to the people of Belize.”

The Opposition points out that there has been no emergency cited that justifies “such material breach of protocol that consequently infringes on the Opposition privileges in the House.” They assert that, in the event of an emergency, the Executive should have requested a Special Sitting of the House from the Speaker, thus avoiding any deprivation of the Opposition’s rights and responsibilities to hold the Government to account as provided by Standing Order 19(3).

The Opposition also criticises the Executive for repeatedly presenting bills and motions either the day before or on the day of House Sittings. They request that the House Sitting be rescheduled for July 5, 2024, in adherence to established protocols and Standing Orders, to enable the Opposition to fulfil its essential role in sustaining a strong democracy.