Government and LOO Disagree on Celebrating Ties with Taiwan  

Taiwan has been Belize’s diplomatic ally since October eleventh, 1989, and Belize has benefited from Taiwan’s friendship under both U.D.P. and P.U.P. administrations. Today, Prime Minister John Briceño presented a motion to celebrate our two countries’ thirty-fifth anniversary of those ties, a motion that got overwhelming support from the government representatives and from the Collet and Albert area representatives, Patrick Faber and Tracy Taegar-Panton. Representatives referred to Taiwan’s significant support for women empowerment projects to improve the lives of Belizean women. With Taiwan’s Ambassador, Lily Li-Wen Hsu in attendance as a guest at the House Meeting today, the Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow did not support the motion. We share tidbits on Taegar-Panton and Faber’s support of the motion, followed by PM Briceño expressing his disappointment that the Leader of the Opposition did not endorse the motion. During that portion of the presentation, Barrow blurted out that Taiwan had supported the PM’s sister’s non-government organization with funding in the past.

 

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet

“On behalf of the Opposition, we express our full support -there’s one Opposition.  It’s an Opposition to the government. His Majesty’s loyal opposition. On behalf of the Opposition, we express our full support for this motion to commemorate and celebrate 35 years of diplomatic ties between Belize and the Republic of China, Taiwan.  This longstanding partnership has been built on mutual respect, shared values and a commitment to democracy, freedom and human rights.”

 

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“I stand in this honorable house, Madam Speaker – can we have respect for the motion Member for Pickstock, thank you – to affirm and support this motion that seeks to solidify the relationship, the friendship, the partnership between Belize and Taiwan. We thank the government and people of the Republic of China Taiwan for their solidarity, for their support for Belize’s sovereignty, as it relates to the territorial claim of Guatemala on portions of our country. We thank them for supporting our shared values.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We have two of the members getting up and to support this motion, but it troubles me, Madam Speaker, that the official leader of the opposition for now, I don’t know for how long, refuses to get up and to say that they support this motion. I find this incredible. After all that Taiwan has done for this country, this gentleman over there is going to sit down quietly and refuses to get up and say that they support the good people and government of Taiwan. It is troubling to this country, Madam Speaker, because it seems that he wants to sell out. It seems that that is what he wants, you want to sell us out now to the other side, why you don’t want to get up and talk? Come on. It’s a shame, man.

 

[Barrow interrupting]

“See, there you go, see?”

 

Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House

“No member, there’s no point of order. Member.”

 

Valerie Woods

“Leader of the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition.

 

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

[Interruption]

“Madam Speaker, the point is that we have two honorable members of the opposition that had the decency and the honor to get up and support this motion.”