Opposition Slams Government Over Secretive Safe Third Country Agreement with U.S.

On Monday Belize officially signed the Safe Third Country co-operation agreement with the United States of America. The framework agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca and Charge D’Affaires Katharine Beamer. Today, during the Opposition’s press conference, Leader Tracy Panton chided the government for in her words: “signing a secret agreement-”, saying that such agreement will have far reaching implications for Belize’s national sovereignty and border security. 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition: “This agreement,  which intends to provide a safe holding space  for asylum seekers to the United States,  was signed  quietly  without  public consultation,  without  parliamentary  debate,  and without  full  disclosure of its terms.”

She added that as a country we must guard against policies that are not supportive of who we are as a people.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition: “The government says, well, we have the veto power.  But where is that written?  What mechanism  guarantees that  veto will be honored?  What recourse  do we have  if that  veto  mechanism  is ignored?  Without  transparency,  this so-called veto arrangement is nothing more  than a talking  point.  Belize has had a proud history of standing up  for human rights,  for fairness  and compassion,  particularly  to neighboring  countries but those  values  demand  capacity , they demand  structure,  they demand  accountability,  not  a secret deal.”

The signing of the agreement is the start of a process which will entail Senate ratification, but not before discussion and debate. Amendments will also have to be made to our domestic law…in this case the Refugee Act.

Lead Opposition Senator Patrick Farber said that the government is also being secretive about the acquisition of Fortis.

Patrick Faber, Lead Opposition Senator: “They will pay another 18 million US dollars (36  million)  for BEL shares,  bringing the total  to 165 million dollars. Imagine that.  And I want the Belizean people to wrap their heads around that for a minute.  In one weekend, Friday, between Friday and Monday,  they rammed through our National Assembly the authority to borrow 165 million, (330 million Belize dollars ) without even the parliamentarians knowing the details to any great extent, without the parliamentarians getting more than a few minutes to speak. And when I say a few minutes, you know, the Senate, it’s even worse.”

Standard Bearer for the Mesopotamia Constituency, Lee Mark Chang warns Belizeans that the Belize Water Services Limited is seeking a 20% hike in water rate which will affect all Belizeans in these tough economic times.

Lee Mark Chang, Area Representative, Mesopotamia Division: “We firmly reject the outrageous 20 % water tariffs increase requested by BWS, Belize Water Services Limited. BWS has not increased water since 2015 of April, 10 years ago. During that decade, they operated properly, even implementing a rate decrease back in 2012. If they manage efficiently for 10 years without an increase,  why do they suddenly need a massive 20 % increase?  What will they do with the money? The answer is simple.  This is about operational necessity.  This is about forcing Belizean families to finance expansion projects  that the government should have funded.”

The United Democratic Party parliamentarian caucus began with a minute of silence for all the women who recently died at the hands of a husband or partner who professed to have loved them. All parliamentarians also wore purple ribbons in solidarity with the victims.