Ruth Guerra-Shoman retracts resignation as President of BNTU

Ruth Guerra-Shoman has taken back her resignation as the incoming president of the Belize National Teacher’s Union (BNTU). The retraction came this morning via an official correspondence to the union. Even with that change of mind, the General Counsel of the BNTU met today in Belmopan to discuss the Ruth Shoman Saga. It is anybody’s guess what really was discussed in that meeting today, but according to the President of the Union, Senator Elena Smith, the council has decided to move ahead with Shoman.

Elena Smith, President, BNTU: “As you all know she tendered her resignation and this morning she rescinded that resignation so she remains our president elect and come July third she is going to be in office as our new BNTU president for the next two years. We’ve met and we’ve said that she’s going to be the president. The membership elected her and so she’s our president and we move forward with that. At the end of the day we are one BNTU and as every other organization there are challenges and we have to face them when they come and so that is what we did today. We faced those challenges, we looked at how we go forward and that is what we will be doing. We’ll be going forward with our president and our council in support of her going forward.”

It is a very messy situation as past court documents and news articles have shown a tainted pass involving tens of thousands of dollars. Senator Smith would not be specific in terms of any explanation given to her or the council by Ruth Shoman. Rather, she indicated to the media that it is Shoman’s story to tell.

Elena Smith, President, BNTU: “Well those are things that I believe she’d have to speak for herself. I don’t think that we have the authority to speak on any personal matter on her behalf. We can only speak to her position in the union and what we expect of her going forward. I am very satisfied. I have done as I said I’ve done my part, my term has come to an end. I have done my best that I could have done and it is now her turn to come in and do her part as the next national president along with the council they will chart the way forward in terms of what it is they want to do during the next two years. Each president has his or her own vision that they want following or going within the mission and vision of the union and they will work with the council to ensure that their mission or their vision that they’re there for two years would come to fruition. And so we don’t expect anything differently. We know that the president doesn’t make decisions it’s the council that makes decisions and so that will continue and we expect that the union will continue to be strong as we all are and again we may be going through a rough patch right now but we will continue to be who we are the proud, the strong, the mighty BNTU.”