October 18, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Tropical Storm Watch Declared for Parts of Belize

A tropical storm watch has been declared for the Belize, Corozal, and Orange Walk districts. As of three o’clock this afternoon, Potential Tropical Cyclone 15 is heading directly to central Belize. With maximum winds of thirty-five miles per hour, the system may strengthen into a tropical storm with winds up to fifty miles per hour before it makes landfall on Saturday. The biggest concern is the expected downpour—up to eight inches of rain could hit northern and central Belize, bringing a high risk of flooding. Strong gusts will whip up rough seas, so mariners are urged to seek safe harbour immediately. Coastal flooding is also possible in areas north of the storm’s path. Residents from Dangriga to Belize City are advised to stay on high alert, as the storm watch could be extended southward. According to Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon, this system has become more organised, with a seventy percent chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm.

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist, NMS

“We have been closely monitoring the potential for development over the Southwestern Caribbean Sea from the early parts of this week. And throughout to this morning, the system has become better organised and currently has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression or a tropical storm before reaching Belize or the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico tomorrow morning. Currently, the chances are 70 percent of it becoming a tropical storm or depression. Regardless of whether the system becomes a tropical storm or depression, The main threat from the system for the country of Belize is going to be heavy rainfall, and that activity has already started, which we are seeing older bands of showers and thunderstorms moving across the country from the system. Those are expected to continue throughout the evening and tonight and intensify into tomorrow morning. Rainfall estimates at the moment are for about 4 to 8 inches, the higher end, and based on the current trajectory, the highest and most of the rainfall will be in the extreme north of the country.”

NEMO Alerts North Districts on Potential Flooding

NEMO is urging everyone, especially those in flood-prone areas, to have emergency plans and supplies ready. The organization has put district offices on alert and is coordinating with vulnerable communities to prepare for the potential flooding. As of now, schools and airstrips will remain operating as normal. They remind everyone that it’s still in the peak of hurricane season, so it’s crucial to stay informed by following official alerts only. We spoke to NEMO’s National Emergency Coordinator, Daniel Mendez, on this.

Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO

“The EOC’s in all our districts are planning meetings with their members in preparation for for the potential flood and wind risk. So we have also been reaching out to all the vulnerable communities in the north. This has actually begun. We have been speaking to the communities and the leadership of the communities, informing them of the potential rain and wind. We have started to work with them to ensure that these preparations are in place. So all of our districts are actually meeting now between now and 3 PM. At the national level, we will be conducting a planning meeting with all of the national liaison officers here at the NEMO headquarters in preparation for any activation of all the preparation. We have stops in place in all the district offices, and our personnel will be on standby over the weekend. I really want to stress to the public that if you are in one of these vulnerable locations, if you are in a village that is at risk for flooding, please keep on monitoring and please be prepared to have to implement your action plan. If this should occur. We also are recommending to all residents that we need to start looking at clearing of drains and doing everything we can to minimise any potential flooding to your property.”

We’ll be tracking the weather of the weekend, and you can find updates on our channel5belize.com website and social media pages. NEMO’s hotline is 936

Tracy Taegar-Panton Defies Shyne, Asserts Strong Support for Unity Convention

The internal power struggle within the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.) has reached a boiling point, with the Alliance for Democracy, led by Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton, taking centre stage this weekend. For months, Taegar-Panton and her supporters have been organising what they describe as a Special Unity Convention. That convention is set for this Sunday and is to name Taegar-Panton as the U.D.P. interim leader. And as the U.D.P.’s internal war continues to play out publicly, it’s clear that Taegar-Panton is not backing down. The Alliance claims they have the support of seventeen constituencies. Taegar-Panton says that despite efforts to discredit the Alliance, they are pushing full steam ahead. But, in a hypothetical future, let’s say that the Alliance gets the number of delegates. Let’s say that Taegar-Panton is voted as the so-called interim leader. What happens next? They don’t have the keys to the U.D.P. headquarters. Will they storm the building? The official party’s position is that Panton and her crew are no longer members of the U.D.P. The unity convention does not have the blessing of the U.D.P.’s executive, and as such, the U.D.P. won’t recognise it. So, will that convention be a waste of time and resources? We asked Taegar-Panton.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“We have not been removed as members of the United Democratic Party because you cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily remove anybody from the party. There’s a process that is outlining the Constitution that tells you how members are removed. That process has not been followed. You can’t declare us to be not UDP. The Constitution also says very clearly that twenty-five percent, or one quarter of the delegates of the National Convention at any time can convene our national convention by petition. We have superseded that threshold. That threshold is one hundred and thirty-two delegates; two hundred and thirty-two delegates signed that petition. I want to assure the Belizean people that everything that we’re doing on Sunday is following the letter off the Constitution because we can’t say that we’re taking action because the democracy of the party is being eroded and then act ultra virus to that. We are following the Constitution, and the Constitution of the party allows for inclusion. It allows for voices of dissent. It allows for a participatory approach to making decisions within this party. And all of that has been thrown out, disregarded, dismissed. And when you don’t agree with the current Leader of the Opposition, he silences you. He removes you, as he has done today, from the House committees. He removes you from the internal committees of the party. He removes you from the chat groups. That, my friends, is not democracy. It is not what democracy looks like. It is a dictatorship. I’m very confident that we will supersede the threshold. It’s a simple majority, fifty percent plus one, that would be two hundred and sixty-five delegates, and I can tell you, as of today, we have a delegate count of over three hundred. We’re not throwing anybody out because we don’t have the mandate to do that. We will get the mandate on Sunday from the highest decision makers of this party, which are our delegates. And when we are given that mandate, we are going to follow the mandate.”

U.D.P. Leader Insists Sunday’s Convention is Not a UDP Event

If the Alliance for Democracy succeeds in naming Tracy Taegar-Panton as “interim leader” and her supporters attempt to storm the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.) headquarters, U.D.P. Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow says the police will be called in to maintain order. Barrow says that Alliance’s event is not recognised by the U.D.P. He stressed that the party already has an elected leader and executive in place, none of whom support the upcoming convention. Barrow denied any claims of intimidation toward delegates.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.

“We have tried to refrain from legal action, but it is not a UDP anything. So, these people are an entity unto themselves, and while they are expelled members, former members of the party, or whatever they are doing. has absolutely nothing to do with the UDP proper, so it is not an accurate factual description to refer to these people as the UDP. So, whatever the People’s United Party does or the PNP does, or the Progressive Party or the Alliance Party, is of little concern to me. to the United Democratic Party.”

Paul Lopez

“Why didn’t you file an injunction to stop this convention? You are the executive of the UDP.”

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“Well, legal advice and political advice – the only injunction that we could have filed was for them not to use the name. But there is no concern of a threat of a viable threat. You can’t stop people from gathering. So the only thing we could stop them from using is the name. And that option remains on the table going forward to stop them from, you know, using the name.”

Reporter

“What makes a convention though, is the presence of delegates. Do you suspect that there will be a number of UDP delegates present there?”

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“We have to be rooted in reality. s upset as Belizeans may become, if we all decide 100, 000 Belizeans decide to vote and vote, it doesn’t matter unless the elections are actually called. You know, we can’t have a citizens elections. Um, even in the instance where, um, Boots Martinez submitted a recall petition. to the governor general that was rejected. Um, he could have a recall election if he wants, but it would have no legal impact. So at the end of the day, the rules are the rules. Constitution of the United Democratic Party is the Constitution of the United Democratic Party. And people don’t exist in an organization in an orbit unto themselves. You have to conform to the rules and the constitution of that organization. And when you act outside of that, then you become another organization and we wish you well.”

Opposition Members Go At Each Other During House Debate

Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow has replaced Tracy Panton and Patrick Faber on all House committees, following a motion passed today in the House of Representatives. The thirteen committees play a crucial role in reviewing and amending legislation. Barrow nominated himself, Hugo Patt, and Denise “Sista B” Barrow to fill all thirteen committee positions. This is another chapter in the ongoing rift within the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.), with tensions spilling over into the House of Representatives. Today’s debate on the changes was heated, which only added to the party’s internal drama.

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet

“I would have to say whoever is responsible, that it is an asinine decision. So I make the appeal to him and I make the appeal to all right thinking supporters of him, I don’t know if many of that exist. I see my colleague from Corozal north has gone, disappeared, can’t face the music of what his leader is doing in here, shameful. We have to stand up for what is right. We have to. So I make the appeal to him to do what is right for the Belizean people. If you have any iota of respect for what we do for the Belizean people and this process we call democracy, what he has done in the UDP is enough, but now he brings it to this honorable house.”

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“For the record, for the last four years, the members from Collet and Albert has rarely ever attended any of the House committee meetings. The record would reflect that their attendance at the house committee meetings has been very poor. The member for Collet lives abroad. He spends most of his time in the United States getting this illusive PHD that he has been getting ever since he resigned in disgrace. He talks about petty and vindictive; he is the reason I am sitting here. I am a first term junior. You sir, if you were so brilliant, you were such a stateman and so great you would be sitting here. You had your opportunity, and it has flown away because of your behavior.”

Panton Says Removal from House Committees is An “Attack on Democracy”

Tracy Taegar-Panton, the Area Representative for the Albert Division, also shared her thoughts following today’s debate. Panton was recently removed as chair of the Joint Public Accounts Committee, a body formed in 2021 to oversee public spending. The committee includes members from both the upper and lower houses. Panton describes the removal as an attack on democracy.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“It is an attack on democracy. It is a travesty and a black eye delivered by one man. I said in my presentation that we are elected to sit in the house to be a voice for the voiceless and when you remove a part of the socioeconomic framework that includes coming up with laws and making decision in the interest of the Belizean people, you know what happens in effect, you silence the Belizean people who don’t have a voice. There is no place for a dictatorship in a democracy and what we witnessed moments ago is a clear indication of dictatorship if we allow this to prevail. The records are here at the national assembly and I urge you to ask for it. I have had fourteen meetings of JPAC, more than any administration has ever held on both sides of the political divide. We have had three public hearings and I have had to be present at all meetings. I don’t take my role as a representative frivolously. As I said the records are here at the National Assembly. The only time I have had to absence myself is when I was incapacitated because I had to take a surgery.”

Santiago Ciau Sr. Refutes SSB’s Line of Events

It has been less than a week since Santiago Ciau Junior was laid to rest following a long battle with a debilitating bone condition. As previously reported, Ciau retired in March 2023 due to medical unfitness resulting from a workplace injury in 2009. After numerous doctor visits, he was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, which caused him to miss work for extended periods. Ciau reportedly faced repeated denials for invalidity benefits from the Social Security Board (S.S.B.). Despite his appeals, he said he received a late notification, which prevented him from making a timely second appeal. On Thursday, the Social Security Board issued a statement clarifying “key facts” in Ciau’s case. Today, News Five spoke with Santiago Ciau Senior, who refuted the line of events that the press release stated.

Santiago Ciau Sr., Father

“On the 30th of November, my son told me, “Dad, I just got a call from social,” that was in the afternoon. It was a Thursday. It was in the afternoon. Almost 3 o’clock. He said they got a letter for me at the front desk in Social Security. I tell him, man, Let’s go pick it up tomorrow morning, which was the 1st of December, a Friday. And I took him. And when he receives a letter, and we open the letter, this is the letter that we receive. See the date. How in the world can we appeal when they give us this letter? They call him five days after the expiration date. Yes, according to the letter. But we did not receive this. We should have received this letter so that we could have appealed before the 25th of November. We received this letter; the call came the 30th, and when we picked up this letter on the 1st of December, which was a Friday, that is when we realised that it was the result of the appeal that was addressed to the attorney. How can we appeal? and then that get my son depressed and frustrated. He said, “But how can I appear when they don’t expire?”

Ciau Family Seeks Support for Two Children After Loss

In its press release, the Social Security Board stated that Ciau Junior’s beneficiaries are entitled to claim Survivor Benefit. We asked the family if they intend to claim these benefits; here’s what they had to say.

Santiago Ciau Sr., Father

“The turning around they’re doing with my daughter-in-law right now for that survivor benefit. The turning around Social is giving me right now? They want this, they want that, they want that. They request for certain information. Those informations were given to them. So I don’t know what’s the turnaround for this. The fact is that, I think, my grandchildren are due something. He’s leaving two kids, a boy ten years and a girl fifteen years. And one in primary school and one in high school. All I want to say is that I hope that someone at the Social Security Board have souls with them and to look after the kids of my son. The government had spoken to us and given some information, and we are looking forward to see what will be done with that information that they gave us. We spoke, and they said they’d see what they can do. But, uh, as yet, nothing. The Treasury Department cut off the pension right away. And said, nothing for the kids, nothing for the wife.”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia on Allegations of Election Fraud

For the past few weeks we have been reporting on election fraud allegations made by U.D.P. standard bearer for Cayo North, Omar Figueroa. He claims that more than a hundred voter registrations during the transfer period are fraudulent, pointing to unspecified and overcrowded home addresses as evidence. Figueroa, accompanied by the magistrate, visited several of these addresses for further investigation. The magistrate then decided to forward the case to the High Court, leaving no determination yet. So for now, all one hundred and one voter transfers will remain in their original constituencies until a final decision is reached. The transfers were from several constituencies across the country, including Belize Rural Central, which is represented by Dolores Balderamos-Garcia. Today, reporters asked her if she was concerned.

Dolores Balderamos, Belize Rural Central Representative

“I will not comment on the politics of it, but I will remind you that I am the duly elected representative, but I am also the standard bearer for the next election. Having gone through an endorsement convention in July. I will give no further comment. You go and look at the numbers and see the amount of work that has been done in Belize Rural Central for the transfers during the transfer period and the ongoing registration of 18 year-olds and new voters. You go and look it up. “

PM Briceño Recommends Temporary Auditor General

The Auditor General position has been vacant for six weeks, and today the government recommended Deputy Auditor General Maria Rodriquez to temporarily fill the role for the next four months. Prime Minister Briceño stated that during this time, the government will search for a qualified candidate to permanently take over the post. He also mentioned that G.O.B. is collaborating with the I.M.F. to strengthen the office’s functions.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“As we are all aware the auditor general’s previous one was already retired, and we had to bring her back in and her time had come to an end and so we need to bring her back to point another one. As the resolution states, the governor general acting with recommendation from both houses, we need both houses to be able to help us with this one. I want to be clear that the notice went out for a qualified person to fill the post, and we hope that this process will be completed by the end of the year. I know a lot of people get excited about it, but we are trying to do our very best to get a qualified person. Even within the office of the auditor general there are challenges as to who best can fit this post. So, we believe the best way to do that is to advertise it and the persons in the office can apply for that post. It is going to be an open and transparent post. We have no hidden agenda. We have agreed and this is one area we have to strengthen. We are working with the IMF to find ways how we can strengthen the office of the auditor general and also to bring up all our accounts up to date.”