Politics - Channel 5 Belize

Corozal Candidates Officially Nominated And Ready For Elections

As you all know, today the entire country was teeming with activity as the candidates for the upcoming municipal elections were officially nominated. That, off course, includes Corozal which saw its P.U.P. nominees parade through the streets in the morning, followed by an Independent candidate, and the U.D.P. candidates later that day. Then, after the respective festivities of the parade, candidates entered into the Corozal Magistrate Court to be nominated. We attended the event today in Corozal to see it unfold.

Britney Gordon

“So you’ve officially been nominated, can you tell me what this means for you and your candidacy?”

Rigo Vellos, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“It’s always a privilege to be able to give and be given the opportunity to serve our people of Corozal. So we are all excited and we’re happy. We’re happy that this process has happened. We can leave it behind and we can focus now on what we need to focus. Which is to make sure that we win on March sixth.”

Britney Gordon

“And what will you be doing moving forward to ensure that?”

Rigo Vellos

“The work continues. As a council, because we are elected, the work continues. But of course, on the campaign trail, we’ll still be visiting our people asking and pledging for that support on March sixth.”

Marleni Tapia, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“I’m very privileged and honored. I’m feeling energized. I thank all the supporters who came out this morning. It is showing that the PUP is still strong here in Corozal. We are ready to continue the work with Mayor Rigo Vellos and my team PUP7.”

Britney Gordon

“So it’s much harder to promote yourself as an independent candidate. So what are you doing to let people be aware that you’re running?”

Hernan Riverol, Independent Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“I have been, like I told you, I’ve been working with the for years. I even have, things that I did in the past about Christmas parade, giving our gifts, back to school, the kids giving away, some food to some people, some all over the area that they incur that, I mostly deal with the, mostly the needy person though, the ones that need the help in Corozal.”

Ricardo Ake, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“Nomination Day, the day that everyone is looking forward to put their name on that ballot. But nevertheless, a little bit nervous but at the same time very enthusiastic, energized. Words cannot express what the people are bringing to me here. Even if they are not here, even if work has them, or showing their support in being here.”

Benjamin Maestro, U.D.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“I feel very enthusiastic. I feel that we have the support of our people. Our people know what’s coming, and it’s a good message for all of us the candidates in the street for the UDP.”

Glenfield Dennison to Replace Senator Elena Smith in Upper House

Glenfield Dennison, the vice chair of the People’s Constitution Committee, has been elected to replace Senator Elena Smith in the upper house. On Saturday, the membership of the National Trade Union Congress met in Belmopan where two candidates, including longtime unionist Marvin Mora and Glenfield Dennison, faced each other for the soon-to-be vacant seat. It was a close race but in the end Dennison emerged victorious over his opponent by a single vote. On Friday, we announced that Elena Smith has submitted a letter of resignation from parliament, to come into effect on April first.

P.U.P. Holds Massive Rally Ahead of Municipal Elections

On Saturday, the People’s United Party mobilized hundreds of supports from across the country and bused them into Belize City for a massive rally at the Memorial Park. It was a national event held by the ruling party to introduce all mayoral and councilor candidates ahead of the March sixth municipal elections. There were speeches, music and dance, as well as libations and the P.U.P. was in its glory. Addressing the crowd was Deputy Party Leader Cordel who acknowledged the importance of the people that his party serves.

Cordel Hyde, Deputy Party Leader, P.U.P.

“Ah wahn tell mi ministers, ah wahn tell di mayors, ah wahn tell di would-be mayors and would-be councilors that we are nothing without the people. Dis da wahn serious elections, yoh know, cause dis elections da bout di future. Dis election da bout weh we want fu wih pikni, dis da weh we wahn fu wih families and communities. Dis da noh know play-play elections, dis da serious business. Dis da if we wahn turn back or we wahn stay pan trac. Dis da if yoh wahn more free education or yoh wahn more cement house and if yoh wahn more free education then yoh haffi stay pan track. If yoh wahn more NHI, yoh haffi stay pan track. If yoh wahn more cement house, yoh haffi stay pan track. If yoh wahn more land… There can be no turning back. We have to stay pan track wid di social justice ideals ah George Price because when we da George Price PUP nothing can go wrong. When we put di people first, nothing can go wrong. When we tek care ah di people weh need our help di most, nothing can go wrong. So we haffi stay pan track.”

PM Briceño Addresses Throng of P.U.P. Supporters

Prime Minister John Briceño also took the stage a short while after and wasted no time in going after his political opponents. The considerable show of support is the People’s United Party in its prime and listening to the party leader from the podium, the P.U.P. is poised for another victory.

John Briceño, Party Leader, P.U.P.

“The UDP done di talk dat deh wahn get rid ah Shyne because dehn know dat Shyne cyant win no election fi di UDP. But I wahn mek di UDP know, mek ih be John Saldivar, mek ih be Patrick Faber, mek ih be Dean Barrow, mek ih be any UDP, that on March sixth, it doesn’t matter who leads the UDP because Belize will once again vote for the People’s United Party. We are going to go blue, blue, blue down the line. And ah sih Micho and Cayo North out here. I was with them last week and I have good news for you because Trapp di try trick di people da San Ignacio and Santa Elena. He once seh that he only wahn be mayor fi six years, but Trapp has been in the UDP town council for twenty-one years and everywhere we go now, their saying, we tyad a Trapp. We wahn beat Trapp fi di People’s United Party. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so proud to be leading this party because right now we are going to have nine exceptional candidates for mayor and in Belize City, guess what? Mayor Wagner is going to win once again for the People’s United Party.”

U.D.P. Chides Briceño Administration over Refusal to Release Cabinet Docs

The opposition is chiding the Briceño administration after Cabinet denied a request from the Senate Special Select Committee. In its request, the committee sought documents pertaining to the Portico Definitive Agreement that were tabled in Cabinet. News Five is in possession of a copy of one response from Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie to the Senate Committee. It says “I have been obliged to seek legal advice on the matter. That advice was sought from the Attorney General’s Ministry. Based on the legal advice received, I regret that I am unable to accede to the request”. As a rule, every member of Cabinet takes an oath to keep Cabinet deliberations confidential. Furthermore, section twenty-three of the Freedom of Information Act prohibits the release of Cabinet documents to the public. Notwithstanding these conditions, a copy of the Portico Definitive Agreement was leaked to the public back in May 2023.But a body like the Senate Special Select Committee that is undertaking such a serious task may not be able to rely on a leaked document for official deliberation. Today, Michael Peyrefitte, the Chairman of the United Democratic Party weighed in on Cabinet’s refusal to release those files.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“The committee asked him for the documents that they considered, they looked at, to help the committee do its work and they have just flat-out said no. And, I don’t know what the committee will do from here. Technically it is like this, you have a committee formed to produce and agreement and the government doesn’t even want to produce the agreement. So, how, what does that tell you and the terms of reference were clear, the terms of reference were clear, we want to know what were the circumstances that lead to the signing of that agreement and we want to know what was the circumstances that led to the Prime Minister tabling that set of papers in Cabinet, asking Cabinet to approve a document with accompanying legislation, even after one of the best lawyers in the world told him that that agreement was essentially trash.”

Paul Lopez

“Is it your view then that a request from the senate committee trumps the constitutional convention which indicates that Cabinet papers are considered confidential?”

Michael Peyrefitte

“Show me in the constitution where documents in Cabinet can never be released to the public, show me that.”

Paul Lopez

“Section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act states that Cabinets documents are exempted from disclosure.”

Michael Peyrefitte

“When we were debating the bill, none of the six PUP senators, not even the leader of government business who many like to think is the greatest lawyer since Terry Mason, not even he objected to this because Cabinet papers are confidential and cannot be released to the public based on this particular law. Nobody said that until now, where you get that from? The committee in its request did not ask for a tape recording of the Cabinet. It said, listen the documents that were sent to Cabinet, what are those?”

U.D.P. Chairman Tells Senate Committee to Stick With Terms of Reference

But, is the Chairman of the United Democratic Party being sanctimonious in his criticisms against the Briceño Administration? On Wednesday when the former Lands Commissioner, Wilbert Vallejos, was called before the Senate Special Select Committee, he was reluctant to answer any of the questions posed to him. Vallejos served under the U.D.P. administration as lands commissioner for eleven years. He appeared before the committee with Senior Counsel Dean Barrow, former Prime Minister and U.D.P. Leader. Hugo Patt, the Deputy Leader of the U.D.P. and former Minister of Natural Resources, has also indicated to the Senate Committee that he does not intend to answer any questions his legal counsel deems irrelevant to the investigation.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“There is a reason why you have terms of reference and you must stick within the terms of reference and the committee yesterday, in my view, was trying to go outside its terms of reference. And, this is the thing. If you don’t like the terms of reference then change it. We were in a Senate meeting last week. Mr. Barrow was right in telling Mr. Cal that it is a shame you nuh adjust your terms of reference to indicate where you want to go with your investigation.”

Reporter

“You can’t have it both ways. You cannot be criticizing the PUP for a lack of transparency when all the UDP personalities involved in the land transaction or adjacent to the land transaction have been willfully obfuscatory. Now, the former prime minister has appeared to block any ventilation of this Portico adjacent issue.”

Michael Peyrefitte

“That nuh mek no sense. You have the terms of reference. If it is so important to the Portico investigation, if it is so critical, so central, such a thing that it cannot exist without it, well put it in your terms of reference. If it is not in the terms of reference of an investigation you cannot go into it. That is a simple thing. And I don’t care what anybody says, it is not having it both ways, it is one way. We have terms of reference. When they called me to testify I went. They could call me back if they want. But what I am saying you cannot go outside the terms of reference and if you want that to be in the inquiry then put that in the terms of reference.”

Does Questionable 2020 Public Land Transactions Warrant Investigation?

Outside the considerations of the Senate Special Select Committee, Peyrefitte was asked if he believes that the seventeen questionable government land transactions that occurred only weeks before the 2020 general elections warrant an investigation. As we reported, some eight hundred and fifty acres of public land were sold and seventeen titles were issued for them, all on November fourth 2020. These parcels are located in close proximity to the proposed site for the Portico cruise ship project. Here is how Peyrefitte responded.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“If you are a private individual, and attorney representing your client or whatever and you are engaged in transactions that has to be approved by the government, say for example, I buy a piece of land from you and I have to take that to the Natural Resources Ministry to get the transaction approved in terms of stamp duty or whatever. Or if I am buying land from the government and the government has to approve the sale of it, it was enunciated very well in a court appeals case recently, the responsibility lies on the government or the public official. You and I can do whatever we want to do, the government still has to approve it. So, you and I can get into a million ideas of what we want to do with government land or the transfer of land. All of that has to be stamped and approved by the government. So, if two private individuals gets into land transactions and it is approved by the government, then how can you blame those private individuals. In a case like that you will have to question the minister and those who approve it, yes. But that is not for this terms of reference with Portico, that is a separate thing all together. Whatever questions they want to ask Mr. Vallejos or the honorable Hugo Patt, just check the records. Go to the ministry of Natural Resources and ask them to produce the records of all transactions and the committee can have it.”

If Re-Elected, U.D.P. Chair Vows to Release Cabinet Confidential Papers

U.D.P. Chairman Michael Peyrefitte, also told reporters that if the U.D.P. was in office they would honor the request of the Senate Special Select Committee for Cabinet confidential papers. In fact, Peyrefitte pledged that the next U.D.P. government will provide any Cabinet paper requested. Here is how he responded when reporters asked him about a decision by the Briceño Cabinet to release confidential documents would set bad precedents.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“This is not a precedents setting government. This is not a government you want to copy or refer to at any time for the rest of the history of the country. This is a five years that the country will want to forget. They will set no kind of precedents. The next United Democratic Party government that the people will elect in will give you whatever Cabinet paper you want, you know why, because there is no secret to it. People come with proposals to the Cabinet for deliberations. If people want those documents and want to know what agreement the government came to or they want to find a definitive agreement that the government signed or any sort of agreement, it is for the people. There is no such thing as a private, public document. That is all public unless you are talking about issues that have to do with national security.”

P.D.M. Leader says “Fawda” Henry Excommunicated from Political Movement

The leader of the People’s Democratic Movement, Estevan Perera, is defending his name and that of his newly established political organization, after his former city council candidate berated him publicly. Last night, we told you that Phillip “Fawda” Henry, a candidate for the movement, is no longer a member of the PDM. Henry told News Five that he withdrew his candidacy because Perrera has not been forthcoming about funds he purportedly collected from private businesses to run his campaign. Well, Perrera visited our office today to clear his name and set the record straight. He says Henry was excommunicated from the P.D.M. for being defiant.

Estevan Perrera Sr., Leader, People’s Democratic Movement

“Mr. Henry is a problem child and he has to understand that he must listen and abide by the laws and regulations that is set in our constitution and manifesto. There is no special treatment for anyone and to set the record straight, he did not resign. We had a meeting and we all got together, the executive and fellows running in this election coming up and we decided to move him from the People’s Democratic Movement, not because we dislike him or anything, but because of the bad habits and we have spoken to him several times a for him to change and he will not listen. First of all in our manifesto it says, fifty percent, we will give to all elderly people that are living in a home that belongs to them and we believe that is reasonable, fifty percent discount that is. He keep on saying they will pay nothing, it is free. We keep on telling him nothing is free, we got to collect something. But, he will not listen. So, we left him alone. Then again he came up and said, within my movement and people, telling them that I collected money from business people. Well when he said that I said this guy is questioning my integrity now. He is really out of bounds. So then I called a meeting with my entire executive and council and I told Fawda you said I collected money from business people, could you kindly tell my friends in here who that business man is and how much I collected. He didn’t say nothing. So as a result we excommunicated him, took him out all together. We have nothing to do with Mr. Henry.”

Paul Lopez

“With Mr. Henry’s exit, how much candidate to you now have on your slate?”

Estevan Perrera Sr.

“Present it is ten. I need one more. I will be campaigning tomorrow. I got two candidates today but when I talked to them they said they don’t want to run. So I got to go out tomorrow and no problem I will find a candidate to replace him and we will have eleven candidates to run on this election day.”

Senate Committee Chair Persistent in Face of Unwilling Witness

Notwithstanding Wilbert Vallejos’s reluctance to answer most of the questions put to him by the Senate Special Select Committee, Chairperson Janelle Chanona continued to press him on certain records in the committee’s possession. One of the matters on the committee’s record pertains to the short time between the signings of the Portico Definitive Agreement and the sale of the lands in question.

Janelle Chanona, Chairperson, Senate Committee

“I put to you Mr. Viejo that the chronology the paper works shows that the Definitive Agreement was signed on first of October 2020. The land in and adjoining the Portico development area went from national lands to particular companies on the fourth of October and then in 2022 was purchased by Portico.”

Wilbert Vallejos, Former Lands Commissioner

“Madam Chair, are you giving evidence?”

Janelle Chanona

“No he is asking me to clarify the question. With all due respect, I am asking you Mr. Vallejos, the context of the question is, was there a process. The committee would be guided from an expert like yourself as to what was the process for national land to be sold to companies.”

Wilbert Vallejos

“You are asking a specific question and you want to give a general answer.”

Janelle Chanona

“You can give a general answer if that is what your counsel is advising you to give us. As a former public officer I am asking you to answer the question.”

Wilbert Vallejos

”Chair, I don’t want to be looked at as somebody who doesn’t want to help the committee. I have heard the questions you asked the former commissioner. I have heard the questions you asked other people about the lands. But again, in my humble opinion, those questions are set and a part from what you would be asking me. I am trying to see the relevance.”

Wilbert Vallejos

“But your expectation is not my responsibility.”