Minister of Home Affairs Calls for Greater Respect for Media After Swearing-In Exclusion

Tonight, the Minister of Home Affairs is joining his cabinet colleagues in calling for greater respect for the media. On Tuesday, the press was not able to witness the swearing-in of the Toledo East Area Representative inside the government house in Belmopan. Reporters were forced to wait outside during the event because of protocols set out by the Governor General. Since then, two government ministers have called for a change to the rules and greater media consideration. And, today, Musa echoed the call.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs: “I don’t see any reason why on a very special occasion like that one, the swearing in of Dr.Martinez that the media would have been barred out of that event. I don’t know why and I am hopeful that that is not going to be the norm. It’s actually the first time that I’ve attended one of those swearing in ceremonies so I don’t know the protocol but in fact now I’m hearing that the media is normally inside and like I said it’s a special occasion for Dr.Martinez. He ended up having to come out to give his interview on the road side which I don’t think would have been appropriate, it would have been better to have been done inside for the media to capture, to document that very special moment for him and his family”

It was not the first time the media was excluded from events of national importance.