Opposition Leader to sue GOB over proposed redistricting map

Government & Politics
July 11, 2023
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As if the infamous Definitive Agreement is not creating enough waves for the government, there is also the matter of redistricting. As we reported, the Redistricting Report has been submitted to the Prime Minister, and today it was reviewed by the Cabinet. A release from the government this afternoon indicated that the Cabinet is not in full agreement with the contents of the document, and have expressed serious concerns. The report will now be tabled in the National Assembly where a debate will take place. The Redistricting Report was on the agenda for the Leader of the Opposition, Moses Shyne Barrow, where he continued to condemn and claim political interference. Today, however, Barrow has taken things one step further and said that the will be launching a suit against the government.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “The redistricting task force, the Government of Belize, is not doing us a favor. They are not doing the opposition, they are not doing the electorate, they are not doing the media a favor with redistricting. It’s in our constitution, should happen every 10 years. We are delinquent. This is a process that the integrity of which needs to be preserved. So the things that we are opposing as a United Democratic Party are not political things. Again, it is shocking that the Election and Boundaries would put out a release forbidding the media and the public from discussing this matter. We should be fully engaged on this matter because this is our democracy and the government needs to get it right and they got it wrong from the beginning. So we will be bringing litigation in this matter just on the basis alone of Collet Montejo. They’ve gone from a proposal that was headed in the right direction to now they have not created more constituencies in Cayo and in Orange Walk. So remember I shared with the media that there was to be an Orange Walk South Central, a Cayo north west. They have taken that off of the table. They have left Belize Rural South at about over 8,000 and taken the voters out of Belize Rural South that are in Caye Caulker and merged them with Fort George. They’ve gone across the Caribbean sea, taken a people that have their unique identity and culture driven by fishing and tourism a totally unique and distinguished set of people as are all the 31 constituencies and transplanted them into Fort George. Why? To save, in my opinion, Henry Charles and Kareem Musa from having one of them lose their seats. And this is not what the exercise is about. It would have been better to not waste the last two years. And the resources, if this is where we’re going to end up. This is a totally politicized proposal. I understand from my commissioners on the Elections and Boundaries Commission that this last proposal which is what they will table to the House unless the Belize Peace Movement, because according to the consent order they have to present to the Belize Peace Movement on July 17th I believe that is next Monday the actual report that will go to the House unless they can have them concede to the consent order and comply with the Constitution, what you will have tabled in the House is a completely political attempt at gerrymandering and just running away from the responsibility of redistricting. Nothing has necessarily changed in what it is they are proposing. And the fact that rather than discuss that, rather than bring that to the public and say, this is what the report is and answer the questions, there’s no need to wait until that is tabled in the House because it would be laid on the table. And when something is laid on the table, it’s not debated. So where is the transparency? Where is the open government? Where is the consultation? Where is the democracy in all of this?”