UDP Leader Dismisses 13th Amendment Concerns

Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) says the opposition for the 13^th Constitutional Amendment is much ado over nothing.  While the Leader of the Opposition, Tracy Panton has opposed the move, UDP’s Party Leader, Moses Shyne Barrow says he sees it differently.  According to Barrow, he has done multiple consultations with legal minds and has found that the amendment does not include anything that is not already in the laws of Belize.  He notes that as it stands, the government has the power to declare areas as special places and to carry out searches without a warrant and to maintain law and order through detentions of suspected criminals.  He concluded that the opposition to the amendment has more to do with the lack of confidence in the Briceno Administration.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, UDP Leader: “The opposition is really in the lack of confidence because then I asked, I said well listen so you’re saying that this 13th Amendment will, without this you don’t have special areas? “Oh no, no, no, we have special areas.” So you’re saying without the 13th Amendment you can’t search without warrant and detain someone in the special area? “No, no, no, you can do that right now.” So the idea that,  “Oh well now because you’re tinkering with the Constitution” the only reason that you’re enshrining it in the Constitution is because you have a dispute in the High Court, and it’s already law. So there’s nothing new happening here except the Gun and Gang Court which will be adjudicated by a justice of the court. It will just be a special court like you have family court, like you have whatever other special courts we have here for justice.  So rather than someone being detained or held in Hattieville for a long period that deprives victims from getting justice that may deprive the wrongfully accused from getting justice, we will be able to deal with these things expeditiously, which is to the benefit of the country. And what I was saying  is in all of this no one is talking about Mrs Jones that was executed in Mayflower. No one is talking about the disabled, her disabled son that was executed. No one is talking about the attempted murders and the murders and these heinous crimes that are being perpetrated by what some may say are evil people. I believe people can be rehabilitated. I believe in second chances. But they need to go through that process. And that process is justice. And so what is the solution? What is the solution? No one has put together the bill, the appropriate bill, or the appropriate amendment to the Constitution that needs to take place. All I hear is, you can’t give the government too much power. We already gave them that power when we elected 26 members of the House.”

The 13 Constitutional Amendment will go before the Constitution and Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, July 30 in Belmopan.