Amendments to the Referendum Act Announced Amid Offshore Oil Exploration Debate

While Oceana is still awaiting feedback from the government reference the referendum on offshore oil exploration, the government has announced that it is preparing to amend the Referendum Act.   The announcement came via a joint statement from both the government and Oceana, saying that the amendment to the Act will mandate that a referendum be held before any changes are made to the Petroleum Operations (Maritime Zone) Moratorium Act, 2017.  The release further states that the amendment will allow for the voices of Belizeans to be heard when considering the repealing of the Moratorium Act. Oceana Belize’s Vice President, Janelle Chanona, said that she, like all others involved in the process, is waiting to see the amendments become law.  Meanwhile, with all that said, however, the statement made no mention of an actual date for a referendum.  In June, Oceana Belize delivered over twenty-thousand signatures to the Governor General of Belize Dame Froyla Tzalam, to trigger the referendum, but despite a clearly defined process in the laws of Belize, the referendum has not happened. Prime Minister John Briceno speaking on the matter recently, said that the call for a referendum comes at a time where the People’s Constitution Commission is currently holding countrywide consultations on constitutional reform. The Prime Minister added that if the PCC hadn’t been doing so, GOB would have “probably” held the referendum by now.