Did Enriquez, et al Wait Until Last Minute to File Redistricting Claim?

Enriquez, a contributing writer for the Amandala Newspaper, has long highlighted the severe imbalance in constituency sizes and the urgent need for redistricting. However, it wasn’t until two weeks ago, just before the general election was announced, that he decided to take legal action. According to Courtenay, the judge felt that Enriquez had waited too long to bring the issue to court.

 

Eamon Courtenay, Attorney-at-law

“Mr. Enriquez, whose motives I don’t question at all, but Jerry has been writing about this for years, but you can’t wait until 2025, just before the election is called and say, “I want to go to court now.”  If you have this case, you should bring it at the earliest possible time so it could have been resolved in good time.  I think the judge felt that there was too much of a delay here.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“What do you make of the position that Mr. Enriquez and his attorney were saying initially that, this, in effect, would have been an unlawful exercise of the national vote, in the face of the fact that this administration had promised that this exercise would have taken place during this particular term of office?”

 

Eamon Courtenay

“Well I think it is important and, again, we put evidence before the court.  I think it is important for us to remember what has happened here.  The Elections & Boundaries Commission which has the duty to make recommendations for redistricting, did make the recommendations and it was tabled in parliament.  The Leader of the Opposition, Shyne Barrow, gave an interview where he said that there party does not support it.  Once this claim was filed, he changed his mind, but at the time when the recommendations were made, he said he opposed it.  Our party chairman, the Honorable Henry Usher, has said that the PUP does not support it.  The Belize [Peace] Movement had said that they rejected it.  So it was in the committee and they were trying initially to say, well what can we do?  When there was no consensus, it stayed there.  The obvious thing is that if it had been reported back to the full house, the house would have voted it down.  So we would have gone nowhere with those proposals.”