Belize Times November 10, 2013

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

10 NOVEMBER 2013 | ISSUE NO: 4870

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00

Photo: Henry Mortis

Belmopan

Goes Blue!

Pg. 9

Page 3

Will cane farmers boycott Nov 25th crop start date?

UDP Senators have covered up massive corruption in the UDP by blocking the motion for a Special Select Committee investigation

Pg. 3

UDP Blocks Senate Investigation into Immigration Scandal

Pg. 10

Illegal CENTRAL BANK Governor!

CALL THE ELECTIONS NOW!!

Pg. 31

2 02

10 NOV

THE BELIZE TIMES

2013

OPINION OUT

OUT

Northern public transportation needs fixing!

!

Dear Editor, I write as a student and as a regular commuter to bring attention to a serious issue regarding the public transportation that needs to be addressed. For the past four years I have been travelling from Belize City to Orange Walk Town and vice-versa. From my experience, I can express my distress on being dependent on the last bus to reach home. There is no public transportation going north between the hours of 6:30 p.m. to 7:30p.m., thus, forcing me to wait for the last 7:30 p.m. bus which is normally always overcrowded.

Over-crowdedness is one of the major concerns for the daily commuters. From Monday to Friday commuters are faced with over-crowded buses, especially in the morning hours and at night. The drivers are careless since they allow the bus to surpass passenger’s capacity, which contributes to the real issue of the transportation problem.

There is no mechanism in place to monitor routes which could lead to a decrease in overcrowding and standees on buses. Over-crowded buses are unsafe for commuters.

This problem commences from before the bus leaves the Belize City terminal. Passengers are faced with no alternative than to rush into buses in order to get seats. The last bus leaves the terminal with standees and yet makes a stop at Pallotti bus stop for passengers waiting to get home. A majority of passengers waiting at the Pallotti bus stop and Ladyville junction only need to reach Sandhill, Gardenia and Biscayne, but because there is no bus they are forced to wait on the last bus.

LOCAL 8 Nov

BYM wants delayed National Youth Development Policy addressed November 4, 2013

Mayor Kevin Bernard (a former BYM President) hands over Computer to newly elected BYM National President Alberto Vellos and BYM Secretary Sheena Urbina at Independence Hall on Wednesday as a show of support to its members and in joining with the members’ vision of young people taking a lead role in decision-making in the Party and the Government of Belize.

Dear Sirs, October 27, 2013 marked EIGHT MONTHS since the very spirited and timely unveiling of the National Youth Development Policy was held at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts in Belize City. The launching of the very important Policy document, formulated in consultation with youth, was witnessed by hundreds of young people, including students and other direct stakeholders. At the event, both of you who are currently responsible for the Govern-

ment’s youth development agenda promised to give adequate recognition to the policy document and take “right actions on behalf of young people”.

Hon. Longsworth, in an interview with 7News, you also indicated that the National Youth Policy “is a direction…for youths” and a “structure through which the youths can have better access to getting Government to do things on their behalf”. With such importance given to the Policy, the protracted and unexplained delay of the implementation of the National Youth Policy is a serious cause for concern.

We therefore put on the record our extreme disappointment that since the launching of the National Youth Policy on February 27, 2013, there has been no significant pursuit of any of the goals contained in the Policy document. The establishment of the National Youth Council, even though touted as “the implementer” of the Policy, is delayed, purportedly, as a result of a lack of funding. This is strange, since in a recent public statement made by the Prime Minister in

Yes, we know everyone wants to reach home, but this problem needs to be addressed because many lives are been put at risk.

What if there is an accident? Imagine what would happen. Therefore, I make my appeal to the Government, Transport Department and all stakeholders involved to take action in this matter and enforced the laws to alleviate the problem.

They should add a 7:00 p.m. bus

destined north or the alternative in making available a bus to cater for the passengers going to Biscayne in order to to reduce the number of passengers waiting for the 7:30 p.m. bus. This would improve the safety of passengers and increase the efficiency of the public transportation.

Regards, Student, UB Public Administration

Hon. Patrick Faber Minister of Youth, Education & Sports City of Belmopan Hon. Herman Longsworth Minister of State Ministry of Youth City of Belmopan

!

10 Nov

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

|

ISSUE NO: 4840

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz

|

$1.00

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

Founder: Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, People’s United Party Leader Emeritus EDITOR

Alberto Vellos LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed and Published By The Belize Times Press Ltd.

weather 9 Nov

the Cayo District, we learnt that the Government does not lack funding.

If this inaction represents your Government’s “commitment” to young people, we do not support it and will not just stand aside as the issues facing young people fail to be properly addressed.

As direct stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Policy, our members call on your Ministry to inform the young people of Belize to explain what the delay on the implementation of the National Youth Policy is, and, how your Ministry will correct it as soon as possible.

It is disturbing to see the Ministry “celebrate” Youth Week amidst this terrible neglect.

Respectfully, Alberto Vellos President Belize Youth Movement

11 Nov

2612Mar Nov

Tel: 671-8385 #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize

27 Mar Nov 6 13 Feb

Email: belizetimesadvertisement@yahoo.com

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10 NOV

2013

THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP Blocks Senate Investigation into Immigration Scandal Senator Lisa Shoman says Senate President’s vote was unconstitutional! a jail in Taiwan. Since then, the evidence of fraud, corruption and the use of office for personal gain has been piling up, implicating several UDP Ministers.

Immigration Minister Senator Godwin Hulse launched a pretentious investigation into his Ministry, which was immediately followed by allegations that employees were directed to destroy documents. The Prime Minister defended Penner’s innocence in an attempt to intimidate the Police and other investigating

City of Belmopan, November 7, 2013 The greatest travesty to Belize’s democracy occurred yesterday, Wednesday November 6th, when a Senate motion introduced by Lead Opposition Senator, Lisa Shoman, to investigate the biggest scandal to rock the Ministry of Immigration was blocked by the UDP-appointed Senators.

The UDP displayed monumental arrogance and abuse of power in their planned attempt to obstruct a proper and much needed investigation into the criminal actions of several Ministers at the Immigration Departments where nationality certificates, passports and visas have been sold off for personal gain.

The motion put forward by Senator Shoman proposed the establishment of a 5-member Special Select Committee to investigate corruption in the Ministry of Immigration. This is after the revelation that former Minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration Elvin Penner had facilitated the issuance of nationality certificate and citizenship to an international criminal, Kim Won Hong, who was at

PUP NOTICE Belize Rural North Standard Bearer Convention The People’s United Party Standard Bearer Convention for the Belize Rural North Electoral Division is scheduled for Sunday, December 1st, 2013

units.

Under the Constitution, the Senate is the only body legitimately able to investigate scandals of this magnitude. Following the debate of the Senate motion, a “Division” was call for individual senators to vote on the motion.

The person who has presided over this wholesale corruption, Godwin Hulse, refused to heed Senator Collet Montejo’s warning that his participation in the voting was a glaring conflict of interest. Hulse refused to

03 3 recuse himself despite the conflict and chose to vote on a matter in which he is a party to.

UDP Senators Godwin Hulse, Juliet Thimbriel, Joy Grant, Charles Gibson, Lisel Alamilla, and Geraldo Sosa all voted “No”.

PUP Senators Lisa Shoman, Collet Montejo and Karen Bodden voted “Yes”.

Social Partners Senators Mark Lizarraga (Private Sector), Reverend Noel Leslie (Churches) and Ray Davis (Unions) voted “Yes”.

With the 6-6 deadlock, the President of the Senate Marco Pech, a former UDP politician, rose to break the tie with a “casting vote” and join his UDP colleagues as he would do with other matters, but he was interrupted by Senator Shoman who introduced Sections 61 (3) (a) (b) which Continued on page 31

4 04

THE BELIZE TIMES

on the Party Leader Addresses Immigration Scandal

By Francis W. Fonseca MY FELLOW BELIZEANS: Forty-five days after the UDP Representative for Cayo North East was asked to resign from Cabinet for fraudulently and corruptly signing a Nationality Certificate and facilitating the issuance of a Belizean Passport to an international criminal sitting in a Taiwanese prison cell, the Belizean people still have more questions than answers.

45 days later there is still no independent investigation. Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse, with the support of Prime Minister Barrow and the UDP Cabinet, continues to lead the investigation into his own Ministry.

45 days later, a few low-level public officers have been suspended or transferred yet Elvin Penner, Eric Chang, and other UDP Politicians who are allegedly involved, are not even a part of the supposed investigation.

45 days later we are receiving reports of files being destroyed and a massive cover-up underway at the department of Immigration.

45 days later the UDP have gone from staunchly defending Penner and vowing to spend millions in Cayo North East to keep him in office, to calling for his resignation citing new evidence of further irregularities, yet we have not been told exactly what these are and who else is involved.

45 days later PM Barrow has not satisfactorily explained his decision to negligently and recklessly confer authority on Elvin Penner to sign Nationality Certificates.

Mr. Barrow knew Penner’s weakness and he facilitated it.

45 days later there is ad-

mission by the PM of an ongoing visa hustle by cabinet ministers yet no more information has been forthcoming. Who are these Ministers engaged in this visa hustle and what is being done to put an end to it?

How many visas and passports have been sold? By whom? To whom? Where has the money gone?

Belizeans whether PUP, UDP or no P at all, are proud of our Belizean nationality and identity. We are outraged at these acts of UDP corruption and the attempt to cover them up. Law abiding Belizeans travelling abroad may yet suffer hardship and inconvenience as a result of this scandalous debasing of our Belizean Passport.

The UDP Government must know that this matter will not go away until there is a full and impartial inquiry.

It therefore falls to the Opposition to act. But this isn’t simply about getting another seat in the House.

There are deeper principles involved here. This is about exercising people power through a lawful democratic process. This is about vindicating Belizean birthright and national identity.

The PUP has collected the required signatures to trigger a recall referendum in Cayo North East. We will deliver these to the Governor General very shortly.

At the same time, we repeat our demand that Elvin Penner resign immediately from the National Assembly.

There must be a Senate Inquiry into this matter in accordance with section 61 A (2) (d) of the Constitution of Belize. On Wednesday in the Senate,

the Opposition will table a Motion for such an Inquiry and seek the full support of the Social Partners (Unions/ Business/Churches).

The UDP has blocked an Independent investigation and inquiry.

Over the past few weeks our Party has been informing the Belizean people about this UDP corruption scandal and listening to their views on the matter.

We have been dia-

10 NOV

2013

loguing with the social partners seeking their support and the support of the Belizean people as we step up our efforts and demands that this UDP Government put the national interest ahead of their party political interest.

These are not Party political issues. They are national issues. How we respond to them is a reflection of who we are as a people and country. If we choose to sit on our rights and stifle our democratic voices then how can we demand respect from others.

I therefore call on all Belizeans who love our beautiful country and who value our proud Belizean heritage and identity to keep up the pressure. Let those in authority hear our collective voices.

Together we must demand answers. And we demand action. Meaningful action from our leaders in Government.

God Bless Belize!

10 NOV

2013

THE BELIZE TIMES

05 5

EDITORIAL

B

Six is Not Half-dozen

arrow and the UDP are taking Belizeans for fools. They think we are stupid.

It is undeniable that a crime has been committed by Elvin Penner. It is also clear that the UDP are playing political games, pretending to punish him.

There was a big song and dance for Penner to resign.

Then there were all these confusing things about him being asked to step down. Blah blah blah. It is all a game.

The UDP are taking Belize for idiots.

Remember the big huff and puff from Godwin Hulse about this new law which would cure all future evil?

Remember, the “investigation” to get to the bottom of the passport crimes? An investigation for which the FIU is scared. The Police are incompetent. Even the top cop, Commissioner Whylie, is afraid to touch the issue opting instead to make a fool of himself by saying he had never heard about it because where he was staying is under a rock.

As for the Ombudsman, do not expect any investigation from him. That is how the UDP wanted that office and they picked the best and most clueless culprit.

So who will investigate?

The “investigation” that the UDP is doing, on themselves, is “administrative”. Godwin is in charge of investigating himself. This makes no sense.

What makes less sense is that the pretense of an investigation is not looking at the main and obvious suspects.

How can the authorities have an investigation which does not include Elvin Penner? Does not include Eric Chang? Does not include John Saldivar? Does not include Edmund Castro?

What a mockery!

But the plan is to throw up so many smokes and mirrors that the public becomes overwhelmed, confused and ultimately forgets about this passport scandal.

The UDP are trying to buy time. They are waiting for you, the public, to get tired. For your interest to fizzle out.

The UDP have no intention of reforming or fixing their visa and passport hustle. They have no intention of finding out what the problem is. They know what the problem is. The problem is the UDP corruption. They have no intention of punishing themselves.

This is why the Senate Inquiry was so important. The motion by the PUP for the Senate inquiry was a huge threat to the corruption and cover up of the UDP. In our view at the BELIZE TIMES the UDP sabotage

of the motion for the Senate Inquiry into the Passport Crimes is worst than the UDP sabotage of the Public Accounts Committee.

It shows two major things. The first is that the PUP is serious about reform and solutions. Second, it proves that the UDP are pretentious and corrupt on all levels.

The UDP are corrupt as an institution. In the past they covered it well but now it is plain to see.

So why is the failure of the UDP Senate so unforgivable?

You should realize that four of the six senators are appointed as Ministers. This means that they sit in the Senate and sit in Cabinet. Joy Grant is the Minister of Science and Energy. Charles Gibson is Minister of Public Service. Lisel Alamilla is the Minister of Forestry and Sustainable Development and self-righteous, turncoat, Godwin Hulse is Minister of Immigration.

The worst that could happen to any of these people is for them to be fired or resign if they chose to support the Senate inquiry into this international crime. That is what someone of integrity would do. Not this set.

Let us not forget what Barrow said when appointing his corruption intolerant Cabinet senators: “I reached out to people like Godwin, Lisel, Joy Grant and Charles Gibson, all persons of the greatest possible integrity.”

“We expect, and that is one of the reasons he [Godwin] has ask to join government is that he will bring to the table in cabinet his same fierce anti-corruption position.”

What a flop! Hindsight is so 20/20.

Godwin Hulse not only is abetting the UDP cover up and strategy to frustrate an investigation, he even refused to recuse himself in the vote. None of the other “beacons of virtue” leaned over to him and called him to task. None.

But Dean Barrow explains why Godwin is such a laughing stock and sell out: “The fact that Godwin throughout the years has been a stern monitor, has been a kind of invigilator on behalf of the society, has been a watchdog, doesn’t mean that he ever moved away from his UDP roots and his UDP support. He has been a sort of man for all seasons…

But one thing that has been constant has been the fact that Godwin is UDP… This UDP government was always a sham. A well recruited group of con artists and incompetent disappointments.

In the long run the PUP will have to fix this. The PUP will have to clean this up. The PUP’s reform agenda which is solution driven will have to cure this problem.

6 06

10 NOV

THE BELIZE TIMES

on the Líder el Partido discute escándalo en Inmigración Por Francis W. Fonseca Compañeros Beliceños: Cuarenta y cinco días después de que el gabinete le pidiera al representante del UDP de Cayo Noroeste que renunciara, quien de manera fraudulenta y corrupta firmo un certificado de nacionalidad y facilito la expedición de un pasaporte beliceño a un criminal internacional, quien se encuentra recluido en una celda en una prisión en Taiwán, la gente de Belice aún tiene más preguntas que respuestas.

Cuarenta y cinco días más tarde, todavía no hay una investigación independiente. El ministro de Inmigración Godwin Hulse con el apoyo del primer ministro Barrow y el gabinete del UDP continúan dirigiendo la investigación de su propio Ministerio.

Cuarenta y cinco días más tarde, algunos funcionarios públicos de bajo rango han sido suspendidos o trasladados y todavía Elvin Penner, Eric Chang, y otros políticos del UDP que están presuntamente implicados, ni siquiera son parte de la supuesta investigación.

Cuarenta y cinco días más tarde estamos recibiendo informes de que los archivos están siendo destruidos y que existe un masivo operativo de encubrimiento en el departamento de Inmigración.

Cuarenta y cinco días más tarde de que el UDP ha pasado de defender con uñas y dientes a Penner y de que se comprometió a gastar millones en Cayo Noroeste para mantenerlo en el cargo, a luego pedir su renuncia citando que existen nuevas evidencias de nuevas irregularidades y, sin embargo, no ha sido revelado exactamente cuáles son y quiénes más son los involucrados.

Cuarenta y cinco días más tarde el Primer Ministro Barrow no ha explicado satisfactoriamente su decisión negligente de conferir autoridad en Elvin Penner para firmar los certificados de nacionalidad. El señor Barrow conocía bien la debilidad de Penner y todavía así la facilitó.

Cuarenta y cinco días más tarde existe la admisión por parte del PM de que existe una facilitación de visas constante por los ministros del gabinete y aún no hay más información al respecto. ¿Quiénes son esos ministros que participan en esta facilitación de visa

PUP NOTICE Port Loyola Standard Bearer Convention The People’s United Party Standard Bearer Convention for the Port Loyola Electoral Division is scheduled for Sunday, January 19, 2014.

Application are available from the Committee Chairman Mr. Norman Usher or the PUP Secretariat, Independence Hall, #3 Queen Street, Belize City.

Completed applications must be filled and returned to Mr. Norman Usher and the Secretary General. The non-refundable fee is to be submitted to the Secretariat along with the necessary documentation to complete the application package.

Deadline for submission is December 18 2013.

y qué se está haciendo para ponerle fin al mismo? ¿Cuántas visas y pasaportes han sido vendidos? ¿Quién los vendió? ¿A quién? ¿Dónde está el dinero?

Beliceños, ya sean PUP, UDP o no P, se sienten orgullosos de nuestra nacionalidad e identidad Beliceña.

Estamos indignados por estos actos de corrupción del UDP y el intento de encubrirlos. Los beliceños respetuosos de la ley que viajan al extranjero podrían sufrir por perjuicios y molestias como consecuencia de este degradante escándalo a nuestro pasaporte beliceño.

El Gobierno del UDP debe entender que este asunto no va a desaparecer hasta que haya una investigación completa e imparcial.

Por lo tanto, corresponde a la oposición el actuar en este caso.

Pero esto no se trata sólo de conseguir otro puesto en la Cámara.

Hay principios más profundos involucrados aquí. Se trata de

2013

ejercer el poder popular a través de un proceso democrático de derecho. Se trata de reivindicar la identidad y el patrimonio nacional de Belice.

El PUP ha recaudado las firmas necesarias para activar un referendo revocatorio en Cayo Noroeste. Vamos a entregar dichas firmas al Gobernador General en breve. Al mismo tiempo, reiteramos nuestra demanda de que Elvin Penner renuncie inmediatamente de la Asamblea Nacional.

Tiene que haber una investigación del Senado sobre este asunto, de conformidad con la sección 61 A (2) (d) de la Constitución de Belice.

El miércoles en el Senado, la oposición presento una Propuesta de dicha consulta y atrajo todo el apoyo de los socios sociales (Sindicatos/ Negocios/Iglesias). El UDP bloqueo una investigación independiente.

En las últimas semanas, nuestro Partido ha estado informando a la gente de Belice sobre este escándalo de corrupción en el UDP y escuchando sus puntos de vista sobre el asunto.

Hemos estado dialogando con los socios sociales y buscamos su ayuda

PUP NOTICE

PUP NOTICE

Stann Creek West Standard Bearer Endorsement Convention

Stann Creek West Executive Committee Convention

The People’s United Party announces the Endorsement Convention for Stann Creek West Standard Bearer to be held on Saturday, November 30th at the Malacate Beach in Independence Village.

The People’s United Party is accepting applications for members of the Stann Creek West Executive Committee.

Application forms are available at the PUP Secretariat, Independence Hall, #3 Queen Street, Belize City.

Date of Election is November 30, 2013.

y el apoyo de la población de Belice, ya que debemos redoblar nuestros esfuerzos y demandar que este Gobierno del UDP ponga los intereses nacionales por delante de sus intereses políticos del partido.

Estas no son cuestiones políticas de un partido.

Son cuestiones nacionales. Cómo respondemos a esta situación es un reflejo de lo que somos como pueblo y como país. Si optamos por sentarnos de brazos cruzados en nuestros derechos y sofocamos nuestras voces democráticas entonces ¿cómo podemos exigir el respeto de los demás?

Por lo tanto, hago un llamado a todos los beliceños que aman a nuestro hermoso país, que valoran nuestro patrimonio beliceño y están orgullosos de su identidad, a que mantengan la presión. Para que los que tienen autoridad escuchen nuestras voces colectivas.

Juntos debemos exigir respuestas. Y exigimos acción. Acción significativa de nuestros dirigentes en el Gobierno. ¡Dios bendiga a Belice!

PUP NOTICE Corozal North Standard Bearer Convention The People’s United Party Standard Bearer Convention for the Corozal North Electoral Division is scheduled for Sunday, November 24, 2013 in Xaibe Village.

10 NOV

07 7

THE BELIZE TIMES

2013

PATRICK ANDREWS WINS BELMOPAN CONVENTION

Patrick Jason Andrews is the new PUP Belmopan Standard Bearer. His message to UDP’s John Saldivar was: “You have been found wanting!”

Counting the 1,993 ballots

Ruth Logan Supall has asked her supporters to continue supporting the Great PUP Dr. Amin Hegar says the PUP is the only solution to the problems affecting Belmopan

Oscar Mira will continue the work to bring about victory for the PUP in Belmopan

PUP Chairman announces the winner

The voting lines were long for the entire day

0 88

THE BELIZE TIMES

A New Vision…. for a New Revolution

By C. Trench-Sandiford Deputy Party Leader “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 The book of Proverbs in the Holy Bible is described as the ‘book of the wise’.

63 years ago, the Rt. Hon. George Price and a group of men and women had a vision for Belize. That vision was an image, a picture of a Belize, captured in their minds, in their hearts, and in their souls, of each Belizean enjoying a better quality of life than the oppressed and unjust one in which they then lived, and each receiving their just share of the national wealth, as against the crumbs thrown to them by the colonial governor, and the privileged few.

The Rt. Hon George Price and the architects of the peaceful constructive Belizean revolution consulted the book of the wise. They were also visionary men, with strong convictions and calibrated moral compasses. They knew Belize had wealth untold, and stated so in our National Anthem, “Nature has blessed us with wealth untold’. And they knew access to a just share of the national wealth guaranteed the promise of a better life.

So when we became independent, they enshrined in the preamble of our Constitution, the Supreme Law of Belize, the affirmation, respect, belief, requirement and desire of the people of Belize to live by the principles and values of both social justice and democratic nationalism philosophies, which was to create and sustain the nation state of Belize and the Belizean identity and way of life, and eliminate social, political and economic inequalities, to make the promise and the vision, a reality.

The people of Belize

supported the vision of the Rt. Hon. George Price and the PUP for thirty one years on the journey of the revolution to the milestone of independence, the new beginning.

For them, it was akin to looking forward to the beauty and inspiration of the light of the rainbow, after being battered down and tossed by a severe storm, through which you thought all was lost, for independence was a light beckoning, a beacon of hope at the end of decades of confinement in a dark and cold tunnel, while enduring pain and suffering.

But the journey was bearable.

It was worth it, if not for them, for the next generation, so the focus was on the rainbow, even though the storm persevered, the direction was toward the light, even when time could not be measured or numbness encroached u n k n o w i n g l y, and the vision called to their inner human spirit and longing for a unique identity, to be masters of their own destiny.

32 years later, despite our many achievements and successes, poverty and corruption has prospered, and the just share of the national wealth that held the promise of better quality of life for many of our people is an illusion.

Our territorial integrity and our sovereignty is slowly and willingly been relinquished, and injustice and oppression of the people, especially the poor and vul-

nerable, has once again reared its ugly head. Our democracy and way of life is under threat, and our people are grappling with the betrayal of political parties and governments.

We lost focus. No rainbow and light beckon. There is no vision. No promise. The people perish.

Yes, I am aware that there are those who prefer it that way.

They are both the ‘status quoers’ and the ones who enter public life for personal gain. Life is good for them and their families. They have shared the national wealth amongst themselves, so why rock the boat? Why not continue as is?

But that is not the way of the PUP. That is primarily what distinguishes us from the other political parties, for our destiny is entwined with Belize. Our purpose is to serve the people, particularly the poor and vulnerable.

We are a visionary party; a party of social justice and democratic nationalism; and of revolutionary change and reform. We have a proud history and track

10 NOV

2013

record of confronting today’s realities in tandem with what is good for Belize tomorrow It is time to return to the book of the wise, Proverbs 29:18. It is time to make good on the promise of the peaceful constructive Belizean revolution and the preamble of our Constitution. But to do this requires a New Vision for Belize, a New Revolution, relevant to the dreams and aspirations of the Belizean people today, and the next generation.

As the Rt. Hon. George Price did in 1950, our Party Leader, the Hon. Francis Fonseca, has begun the journey of crafting that vision, with our party, and the people of Belize.

So together, we can calibrate and travel the path to protect, defend and preserve the nation state of Belize and the Belizean identity, for if there is no nation state, there is no us, and if there are no us, there is no Belize.

Regain the confidence of the Belizean people in our party and our democratic processes; Eradicate poverty and bring about social progress; And forge national unity and create a Belize that all of us can be proud to leave for our children; Only so can the promise become a reality, so that all Belizeans, not a select few, can enjoy a high quality of life in a just and safe society.

It may require sacrifice, but so be it.

10 NOV

2013

THE BELIZE TIMES

Belmopan Goes Blue!

City of Belmopan, November 7, 2013 More bad news for the Dean Barrow and the UDP. This time coming from the voters of Belmopan, the capital of Belize.

Despite inclement weather, they came out by the thousands, the strongest signal yet that John Saldivar’s days are numbered and as our Party leader has said, it is the beginning of the end for Barrow and the UDP.

Four impressive PUP candidates Dr. Amin Hegar, Oscar Mira, and Patrick Andrews, entered the contest for Belmopan Standard Bearer ready to do their part to bring down Belize’s worst Prime Minister, the dishonorable Dean Barrow.

Newcomer Ruth Logan and Oscar Mira brought added energy and enthusiasm to the PUP supporters in Belmopan. Experienced warrior Dr. Hegar galvanized his supporters.

They all pledged their full support to the winner Patrick Jason Andrews to ensure a victory in the general elections.

The scene in Belmopan was like a carnival and a bazaar, as PUP supporters and their families have set the tone for what will be happening across the country of Belize as citizens rise up to return the People’s United Party to Government under its new Party Leader.

Hon. Francis Fonseca congratulated the four combatants and their campaign teams and praised their hard work and said they were a good example of discipline and unit

for the Party.

Patrick Jason Andrews comes from a stalwart UDP family. His father, Joseph Andrews, is considered a UDP hero in the Cayo area - a man who was disrespected by present UDP leader Dean Barrow.

Andrews’ uncle, also named Patrick, is a staunch supporter of the UDP but Patrick Jason Andrews has seen through the lies, hypocrisy and corruption of Barrow and his UDP Ministers and wants to be numbered among a brewing army of young Belizeans wanting to bring better for the country.

Patrick’s sister, Yasmin Andrews, a popular former columnist in the UDP newspaper and a former UDP appointed ambassador to Great Britain, also appears to have turned away from Dean Barrow and his worthless Government.

Young Patrick Andrews was an outspoken co-host on the religious television station called Plus TV and he is married with two children. He is known as a staunch Christian.

On Monday morning John

09 9 Saldivar was seen looking like a person who got no sleep the previous night.

His shirt was buttoned wrongly and he had on his left shoes on his right foot.

He resembled the character in the movie “Walking Dead”.

The Belmopan constituency is made up of the city itself and the surrounding communities of Salvapan, Las Flores, Maya Mopan, Riviera and others. Although large numbers of civil servants did not come out publicly to take part in a party convention, they have made it known that nobody representing the UDP can get a vote from them in the general elections.

Liquor License NOTICE Notice is hereby given that LUISA RAMIREZ is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Tita’s Mini Grocery”, situate at Guinea Grass Street, Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Will cane farmers boycott Nov 25th crop start date?

10 NOV

FACES & OPINIONS

Farmers demand benefits from bagasse, ASR stonewalls Belize City, November 5, 2013 November 25th has been set as the opening date of the 2013-2014 sugar cane crop season, but if relations between the Yankee owners of the sugar factory and cane farmers continue deteriorating that will not be the case.

Led by the fiery Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), cañeros have intensified their lobbying for a new agreement with the privately-owned Belize Sugar Industries (BSI), in which farmers would be paid not only for the sugar produced from the cane, but also for the waste product known as bagasse. This waste product is used by BSI to produce electricity, through its cogeneration plant, which is sold to Belize Electricity Limited. Cane farmers want in.

But BSI, it seems, does not believe farmers should receive benefits from the waste product. The new owners have not said so publicly, but their refusal to meet with cane farmers to talk it out or even to address the issue basically means they are keeping the status quo position. BSI’s position, under its previous managers who are still hired to manage the operations under the new owners, American Sugar Refining, was that since BSI has made all

the investments ($126 million) in the development of the cogeneration plant, it is they who should reap all the benefits of turning the waste into profits.

In an exclusive interview with CTV-3 News in December 2009, during a time when the cane farmers had also resurrected the debate over their stake in bagasse profits, then BSI Group of Companies CEO Joe Montalvo said cane farmers can’t expect to get “something for nothing”.

“We are not saying no; what we are saying [is] yes we are going to sit down and talk about it but it’s a complex issue. There is hope and there is significant hope for the cane farmers but this getting something for nothing simply doesn’t work. There has to be some sort of incentive some sort of something that will make it possible,” he said.

The then Financial Director Belizario Carballo Jr. was more direct on the issue. He said it’s a dollars and cents matter. “To a large extend it is a way of trying to get something for nothing. The farmers have not invested, it’s BSI that has invested. We are looking at

2013

by Micah Vernon

How do you feel that Dean Barrow is still paying Elvin Penner his full salary and is still giving him all his perks?

Deandra It’s unfair. It’s not right. We are here working hard for our money and Mr. Barrow takes tax payers’ money and pays Mr. Penner, it’s ridiculous. The money that is being used to pay him can be put to good use in the community or for development. He should be on trial or at least removed from his position, if he can have this passport issue, what else isn’t he involved with!?

Ian

I feel bad, because everyone looks at it and can see that Barrow is allowing nonsense and everyone will think they can do anything and get away with it.

Starlee

Continued on page 31

I consider it to be theft because it’s the payers’ money and he was already said to be removed as a minister. If Barrow could find money to pay a criminal like that, then why can’t he find money to pay off loans that Belize owes, for instance the Super Bond! Tax payers’ money is supposed to be used to develop the country, not to pay criminals. Also like the gang members, they get paid as well to do nothing!!

Rene

If Barrow has money to pay Penner after he committed his crime and violated the system like that, that’s foolishness. Instead of wasting time paying Penner, kick him out; pay the teacher, officers, and the main government workers that help to develop this country. Perhaps Barrow has something to hide himself.

Cherry It makes me feel confused because Elvin Penner is a UDP Minister and Dean Barrow only shows the initiative to help and look out for his followers and Penner is a known criminal to the public, so why uphold him?!

Anthony

It’s not right, once you do wrong you have to pay the price no matter who you are? You could be the prime minister and still have to pay the price. He should have been gone a long time ago. Put them out.

Diane

It makes me sick to the stomach to know that Dean Barrow is upholding such nonsense, this shows what type of person the Belizean public chose to run the country, a crooked man with no moral discipline or values!

Elvis

I feel bad. I’m a man, a Belizean looking for a job and this man is being paid his full salary after committing a crime! That’s of the devil mein! Poor, suffering Belizeans need help, not another criminal to help run this country.

Plus he’s using tax payer’s money. Penner shouldn’t be seeing a pay check.

10 NOV

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Like a sears catalogue of scandals 6th November 2013

By Norris Hall The Prime Minister of Belize and his Administration have lost all moral ground to govern this country. Almost every member of his Cabinet has been daubed by the brush of corruption, perceived or real. Corruption plagues the Police who seem to be nothing more than a political apparatus doing the bidding of their political bosses. Add to that, a Director of Public Prosecution who appears to be equally complicit in her inaction with respect to the many criminal offences in the passport scandal. And then the Prime Minister and his Minister of Immigration who have been reluctant to present the evidence or to destroy it.

It goes without saying that this UDP administration is corrupt. The Minister of Immigration has made a lot of noise and monkey dances about the protection of his integrity. What integrity is he talking about? Let’s pry open the closets a bit, just to see the skeletons and take a peek: Big Falls for rice cultivation and as a transshipment point for drugs, the illegal exportation of rice and sugar and his betrayal of the core principles for political reform by the “We the People Movement”.There is more and it is real.

The Prime Minister has been spinning himself dizzy about corruption in the construction of the Marion Jones Sports Stadium, the pharmaceutical drug scandal in the Karl Heusner Memorial hospital while saying nothing about the simmering drug scandal in the Ministry of Health with the Minister and the Chief Executive Officer, the manslaughter of thirteen babies at this hospital with no political appointee held culpable and of course the on-going rosewood scandal which continues with the awareness of the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Forestry.

An update on the rosewood scandal from inside the Ministry is that the moratorium will be lifted as a “Christmas gift” to the loggers although cutting has never stopped and forestry officials are turning a blind eye. There has still not been full disclosure on where the money from earlier illegal logging has gone. The Prime Minister had promised to provide an explanation as to why the Minister of Forestry arbitrarily valued a container load

Prayer to St. Jude May sacred heart of Jesus be Adored, Glorified, Loved and Preserved throughout the world, now and forever.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us; Saint Jude worker of miracles pray for us; Saint Jude Helper of the helpless, pray for us. H.C.

ter he had promised to govern without fear or favour, he made his first unconstitutional speech as Prime Minister saying without any apologies: “It is our

turn”. That was the beginning of corruption in the administration and the end of good governance even before it began.

Continued on page 18

For Sale

By Order of the

Godwin Hulse

of rosewood valued at $216 thousand at $15 thousand when the government had promised to take half of the cost of the spoils from illegal logging at the time. That is a half of $216 thousand per container, or $108 thousand per container should have ended up in the government coffers. The PM has not come back to tell us if it has and how many containers were exported. Also where is the unburnt “burnt” rosewood which was used by the Minister of Forestry to make her unstatement “statement” with the showcase of “confiscated” illegally logged rosewood? Where is that rosewood? Can’t we just have some full disclosure before we are forced to draw some conclusions?

Should not integrity and trust and openness and transparency and honesty be based on forthrightness rather that cover-ups and secrecy and the avoidance of the media to answer some simple questions that are associated with good governance?

Corruption in the Barrow Administration has been a part of the Prime Minister’s grand design to rape and plunder this country from the day he formed his first government back in 2008. Shortly af-

Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed Mortgage made the 3rd day of December, 2007, registered in Deeds Book Vol. 45 of 2007 at Folios 275-304, between Belize Mortgage Company 2002-1 (the Assignor), Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., and Virginia Diane Palma and Mark Steven Palma, and under a Deed of Assignment of Mortgage made the 16th day of September, 2005, recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 28 of 2005 at Folios 1005 – 1080, between Development Finance Corporation (the Assignor) and Belize Mortgage Company 2002-1, which said property was mortgaged by the said Virginia Diane Palma and Mark Palma to the said Development Finance Corporation on the 2nd day of February, 2003, recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 7 of 2003 at Folios 421 – 470; and the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the schedule hereto.

All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.

SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 497 situate on the Southern side of the Western Highway near Mile 8 Belize District and bounded as follows: On the North for 12.190 Meters by a street; On the South for 15.237 Meters by a portion of Lot No. 495; On the East for 30.474 Meters by Lot No. 498; On the West for 27.442 Meters by a Street and on the Northwest for 4.308 meters by a Daylight Cut; containing 459.888 square meters of land as shown on Plan No. 2160 at the office of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

DATED this 22nd day of October, 2013.

MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorney-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.

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THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES THE BELIZE

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TOPMODEL 13

ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS

MISSEARTH

Belize

PREPARES FOR On November 14th Miss Earth Belize 21 year old Miss Amber Reneé Rivero leaves for Manila, Philippines to participate in a number of preliminary competitions leading up to Miss Earth International on December 7th, 2013.

Amber will model a costume depicting one of the greatest features of the Earth, The Belize Blue Hole. Amber also intends to wow the judges with a rendition of a piece on the violin called ‘Romanza’, which was composed by our very own Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young.

You can show support by voting for Amber in the official Miss Earth International ‘Miss Photogenic’ competition. This can be done by liking her photo on the Miss Earth Facebook page or by visiting www.missearth.tv On the same page, you can again vote for her for the ‘Best Environmental Video’.

This will be the first time that Belize will participating in the Miss Earth International Talent Competition.

Location: Princess Hotel, Casino and Marina, Belize City

Manila

Jenna • • • • •

Height: 5’ 7” Career Plan: Entrepreneur Sign: Leo Favourite Food: BBQ Lobster Likes: Relaxing, Reading, Gardening, Spending

TOP MODEL Clothing and Accessories provided by CATWALK FASHIONS

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time with family and friends Lives in: Belize City Fav. Quote: If you can solve your problem then what is the need for worrying? If you cannot solve it then what is the use of worrying?.”

visit us at www.belizetimes.bz or Facebook/ Belize Times

Cor. North Front Steet & Queen Street Belize City

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14 SPORTS Rigo Vellos retains Mr. Belize title

THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE

10 NOV

2013

Cricel Castillo wins Ms. Body Fitness Belize City, November 1, 2013 Rigo Vellos won the Mr. Belize bodybuilding championship organized by the Belize Body Building Federation at the Bliss Institute held last Friday night. Ben Mckoy, the seven-time Mr. Belize champ, presented the trophies and prizes.

Meanwhile, Cricel Castillo won the Miss Body Figure title, outdoing defending champ Gina Lovell.

The night’s results are: Mr. Belize overall 1st - Rigo Vellos 2nd - Clayton Greenidge 3rd - Edgar Rogers

Light Heavyweight 1st - Rigo Vellos 2nd - Ernest Broaster 3rd - Deon Banner Masters 1st Clayton Greenidge 2nd - Deon Danderson 3rd - Guy Neal Middleweight 1st Clayton Greenidge 2nd - Chris Carter 3rd - Delvan Palacio Welterweight 1st - Edgar Rogers 2nd - Dion Ortiz 3rd - Dion Danderson Female Bodybuild-

ing

1st - Kaya Cattouse Miss Body Figure 1st - Annlyn Apolonio 2nd - Christina Requeña 3rd - Charlyn Flowers (2012 winner) Miss Body Fitness 1st - Cricel Castillo 2nd - Gina Lovell 3rd - Josephine Gault Men’s Body Fitness 1st - Clinton Tucker 2nd - Kevin Griffith 3rd - David Requeña

Belize wins Bronze

in Amateur Boxing Championships November 5, 2013 The Belize Boxing Federation (BBF) is proud to announce that two of our young boxing stars, Max Williams and Sherman Galvez brought home bronze medals from the Central American Amateur Boxing Championships held in Managua, Nicaragua from 30th October to 2nd November.

Max and Sherman, who fight out of the Leopold Smart Gym, faced off against the best fighters from all other Central American countries in their weight classes of 64 kg and 69 kg respectively. It was non-stop action from the opening bell, and at the end of the tournament, the organizers commended the Belizean fighters on their aggressive offensive style.

The BBF would like to thank the Belize Olympic Committee and our sponsors, Smart and the Tipsy Tuna Bar and Grill, for making the trip possible and encourage all Belizeans to support the sport of boxing.

SCA & SJC set new records in volleyball Belize City, October 30, 2013 19-time defending national champ St. Catherine’s Academy and the 3-time defending champ St. John’s College will represent the Central Region at the high school volleyball championship hosted

by St. John’s College at the SJC Gym on Friday and Saturday, November 8-9.

The SJC boys won their 3rd regional championship over the Ladyville Technical High School boys: 27-25, 25-20, and Continued on page 15

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THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES THE BELIZE

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Bandits rise to No.1 in PLB football Belmopan, November 2, 2013 The Belmopan Bandits lead the Premier League of Belize after they came from behind to win 2-1 against the up-to-then undefeated Belize Defence Force at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga on Saturday night.

Vallan Symns’ perfectly executed a free kick in the 22nd minute to beat Bandits’ goalie Woodrow West and give the BDF a 1-0 lead before the half.

The 2nd half was all Bandits, as Denmark Casey caught up to a pass from Jerome “Jaro” James and his rocket of a shot in the 47th minute delivered the equalizer for the Bandits. Jerome “Jaro” James headed

in the game winner in the 76th minute.

Other matches: Police United vs. FC Belize - 1-1 Goals by Jarret Davis, Harrison “Kafu” Roches Verdes FC vs. San Ignacio United – 2-0 Goals by Norman “Tilliman” Nunez, Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton Upcoming matches: Bandits vs. Verdes, Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Saturday San Ignacio United vs. Police United, Norman Broaster Stadium, Sunday BDF vs. Paradise Freedom Fighters, Toledo Union Field Sunday

Gwen Liz defeats Nazarene in basketball

Customs & Ports clash in Game 3 Belize City, November 1, 2013 Customs & Excise Department will clash with Ports Belize Ltd. in a do or die game 3 on Friday night, November 8.

Customs forced a Game 3 in a 43-39 upset math in ‘Game 2’ at Bird’s Isle last Friday night, November 1.

Customs led all the way as Winston “Air Jun” Pratt scored 11 points and 8 rebounds, while Marvin Skeet added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Earl “Bolo” Johnson was the only man for Ports in double digits with 10 points.

Bombers lead MART Mundialito with 5-0 record

20 compete in youth tennis tournament

SCA & SJC set new records in volleyball Continued from page 14

Daniel Musa & John Paul Jaramillo won in 8 & Under

Sophia Solano & Khalil Espat won in 10 & Under

Samron Pott & Harnadar Tut won in 12 & Under

On Saturday November 2, 2013, the Belize Tennis Association held a tennis tournament for 20 children.

The Belize Tennis Association (BTA) presented medals to first and second place in each category and certificates to each participant. The BTA encourages the children to keep on playing as another tournament is coming up soon!! The BTA thanks the parents and coaches for their continued support.

25-22.

On Wednesday, October 30, the SCA girls won their 19th consecutive Belize District championship, crushing the Belize High School girls: 2511, 25-17 and 25-22.

The Western champs, the Sacred Heart College girls will take on the Southern champs, Stann Creek Ecumenical College girls, in Game 1 on Friday afternoon; while

the SCA girls face off against the Northern champs, San Pedro High School girls, in Game 2 on Friday evening.

The Western champs, Mopan Technical High School boys, take on the Southern champs, Georgetown Technical High School boys, in Game 1 on Friday afternoon; while the SJC boys challenge the Northern champs, San Pedro High School boys, on Friday night.

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Like a sears catalogue of scandals Continued from page 11 Now he wants to blame the previous People’s United Party. This has become his mantra for all the failure and inequities of this ghetto type Administration and governance. Certainly the people of this country want to be uplifted rather than having to swallow the crass misconducts of those we elected to provide for us a better life - not to continue to steal from the public purse the money that should be used to improve our standard of living, to provide better education and health services and all the other amenities of life we could only wish for after we take a short sprint across the “Friendship” bridge that spans the Rio Hondo to the Mexican border city of Chetumal in the province of Quintana Roo. SPINNING DIZZY It was telling that shortly after coming to government in 2008 the Chairman of the United Democratic Party was on television saying that the role of a political party was only to win elections. He was right. The Barrow Administration seems not to have had a plan for governance.

It functioned, and continues to function, as a political adhocracy which has slowly sank into an uncontrolled kleptocracy.

With all the scandals and corruption in this government, it is beginning to look like the first edition of a Sears catalogue of corruption in Belize with an accompanying Do-it-yourself kit on how to hustle and how to spin a gullible electorate dizzy using spin techniques. An online edition is available on Google.

A recent 2013 international economic report by the World Bank has commented strongly on the increasing impact of corruption at all levels of the Belize government. It notes: “Economic dynamism is constrained by institutional weaknesses that undermine prospects for longterm broad-based economic development. In particular, the judicial system remains inefficient and vulnerable to political interference. Corruption, perceived as widespread, severely undermines entrepreneurial dynamism.”

The report also comments on the Barrow Administration’s effect on the re-nationalization of the utility companies and the government’s negative attitude towards foreign investors on a whole. It states: “Dynamic economic gains from trade are undercut by the lack of progress in reforming financial services and investment, both of which are critical to sustaining an open market.”

PM KILLED THE INTEGRITY COMMISSION The report implies that there are no mechanisms in place to address the problem of widespread corruption in the Barrow Administration. It was the Prime Minister, who, when in government as the Deputy between 1993 and 1998, rendered the Integrity Commission dysfunctional after he moved successfully to fire its Chairman, an attorney of his own political kin.

A recent move was also made by attack dogs in the Barrow Administration to discredit the Auditor General for her recent scathing report on this government’s misuse of public funds. Now he

Elvin Penner

has called on the AG to go into the Ministry of Immigration to make an assessment of the passport scandal. But he has not told us if his henchman Minister of Immigration has completed his “cover-up” investigation.

This should not impress anyone, unless they are dyed-in-the-wool supporters, after the political machinations to hinder the work of the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the Chairmanship of an Opposition, based on the recent report by the AG on the mismanagement of public finances. Ministers on the PAC deliberately boycotted meetings of the PAC to prevent a quorum. This has become a source of anger for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the social partners, including the Council of Churches. There is now a love fest taking place between them and the pro-tem Chairman of PAC to reconstitute the PAC to ensure that the government’s rats do not control the function of the PAC. But, according to the representatives of the Chamber, the Unions and the Churches,

Lisel Alamilla

it appears that the government is trying to hoodwink them.

The Prime Minister has not shown any serious intention to put in place an overall mechanism to deal with and to prevent corruption in his government.

He has, with the Minister of Immigration introduced a new Bill in the Legislature in an attempt to fix the mess in the Immigration Department. Unfortunately, Legislation cannot be retroactive.

However, under the present law two of his Ministers are wrapped in a blanket of serious criminal allegations cannot face the penalties. It is simply an appeasement force by political pressure.

The Opposition needs to table a motion for a Bill that would allow criminal action to be taken against any elected representative who uses his/her political office for personal gain. This sort of activity is now open and in our face.

MAJOR PARALYSIS The broadening passport scandal has caused a major paralysis in the Barrow Administration already handi-

capped in its ability to govern. Given this government’s skin-of-the-teeth hold on power, the Prime Minister himself, has very little wiggle room to keep his wayward Ministers in check. It has been alleged that he has enriched his family members by having them represent the government in numerous cases before the Courts. Millions of dollars have been spent in legal fees for an abnormal number of litigations. One pundit has even suggested that the reason why corruption has become so widespread is that, because the Prime Minister had taken home the cookie jar, his ministers had to come up with alternative ways to enrich themselves. The Prime Minister, at a recent press conference, let slip from his mouth an analogy with Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Given his narrow hold on power and with two of his Ministers deeply enmeshed in the immigration scandal, there is now very little the Prime Minister can do to hold his band of thieves together. He enjoys a slim majority of 1714 in the legislature AND with a minority government.

He has failed miserably in managing the affairs of this country. Both poverty and unemployment are on the increase in tandem with the rising level of corruption.

Under his watch more and more people are falling into the downward spiral of poverty and misery.

A CALLOUS EGOMANIAC But unlike the callous egomaniac that he is, this writer will be magnanimous and humanistic in wishing him well as he seeks medical attention in California for a debilitating spinal problem. It is hoped that while on his back, he will be humbled by his own vulnerability and be inspired to return to govern this country or to resign.

For his good health and ours, we recommend the latter.

10 NOV

2013

Media Announcement Stakeholders of the sugar industry engage jointly in planning to meet future challenges In October 2O17, changes to the EU sugar regime are expected to impact prices in Belize’s major export market, reducing revenue from Belize sugar sales. Quotas which have regulated access of beet sugar to the EU market place will be removed. The anticipated increase in supply is expected to reduce sugar prices and hence the value of the preferential access to the EU market which Belize and other ACP sugar producers have traditionally enjoyed.

The Belize sugar industry needs to respond how to put in place the steps necessary to improve its competitiveness before this happens.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, industry stakeholders met in Orange Walk and Corozal in a series of sessions over the last week to discuss how to prepare Belize’s sugar sector to be able to compete effectively within a more volatile sugar market.

The main solutions identified were to increase sugar cane production, matched by increased efficiency and capacity at the mill. This would reduce per unit production costs and improved competitiveness. Stakeholders heard that this could be achieved by raising average sugar cane yields on existing cane land. BSI presented the details of a BS23 million capital investment program, which includes additional evaporator capacity and the installation of cane knives that will increase throughput and improve the overall time efficiency of the mill. Discussion also took place on improving harvesting and delivery practices, development of a regulatory environment conducive to industry growth, and how to secure timely and affordable credit to help cane farmers to achieve increased productivity.

Although the BSCFA leadership decided to disassociate itself from these meetings, a wide range of farmers participated, along with technical experts from SIRDI and BSl, development partners, government officials and representatives of financial institutions.

Stakeholders agreed to develop action plans setting out the key steps required to ensure Belize’s sugar industry remains viable in the long term.

The meetings were a clear signal of the industry’s intent not to get left behind in the race for competitiveness, which confronts many Caribbean sugar industries at this time. All agreed on the need to continue to communicate and to develop workable solutions.

4 November 2013

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THE BELIZE TIMES

STATUTORY NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE ESTATE of FREDERICK WESTON Deceased of #3 Mortuary Lane, Belize City

NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 36 of the Administration of Estates Act, Chapter 197 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, that all creditors having any claims or demands upon or against the Estate of FREDERICK WESTON, deceased, late of #3 Mortuary Lane, Belize City, Belize, who died on the 23rd day of January, 2013, without leaving a Will, in whose estate Letters of Administration has been granted to JULIA WESTON OF #3 Mortuary Lane, Belize City, Belize, should lodge such claims or demands upon the said JULIA WESTON c/o MUSA & BALDERAMOS, Attorneysat-Law of No. 91 North Front Street, Belize City, on or before the expiration of three months from the first publication hereof AND NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that at the expiration of the said three months the said Administratrix shall proceed to distribute the assets of the said FREDERICK WESTON, deceased, amongst the parties entitled thereto, having regard to all the claims and demands of which particulars are lodged and the Administratrix shall not be liable for the assets of the deceased or any part thereof so distributed to any person or persons whose claims or demands she shall not then have had notice.

DATED this 25th day of October, 2013.

MUSA & BALDERAMOS Attorneys-at-Law for JULIA WESTON Administratix in the Estate of Frederick Weston

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

)

IN THE FAMILY COURT

)

THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT ) COUNTY OF GREENVILLE

)

Lorraine Leigh Goslar Urbina,

)

Plaintiff, ) 2013-DR-231026 -vs.- ) Anael Adalberto Urbina Alvarado, ) Date filed: March 7, 2013

Defendant. ) Time filed: 2:12 pm ______________________________) TO THE DEFENDANT ABOVE-NAMED:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint herein, a copy of which is attached and herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to this Complaint upon the subscriber, at 304 Pettigru Street, Greenville, South Carolina 29601, within thirty (30) days after service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service. If you fail to answer the Complaint within the thirty- day period, the Plaintiff (s) will apply to the Court for the relief demanded therein and judgment by default will be rendered against you.

David J. Rutledge Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 10664 Greenville, SC 29603 (864) - 467-0999 Greenville, SC

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Reid For God’s Sake, Stop It!!

By G. Michael Reid As predicted, last Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives followed the script to a tee.

Instead of addressing the issues on everybody’s minds, the Prime Minister went digging for dirt on the People’s United Party. After spending the entire day attacking Max Samuels (who has not been in politics for donkey’s ears) and the ghosts of other PUP past, the Prime Minister still did not get around to telling us anything about the “new” evidence against Elvin Penner. Of course, the lies and fraud employed to secure a passport for a fugitive in a jail on the other side of the world should be enough to land anyone in jail, but even with this additional “new” evidence, Penner still seems to have full protection of the Prime Minister. Penner must be holding a really good trump card.

After going out on the limb and promising the people of Cayo Northeast a Rose Garden if they kept Penner in office, Barrow made an about turn after he claimed that new evidence was found. According to the Prime Minister, Godwin Hulse found more dirt to show that Penner was involved in a lot more than was initially thought. Yet, in the House on Friday, Barrow continued to hold that what is against Penner is only “one passport”. So what then is this new evidence and why can’t the Belizean people be told? Could it be that it involves more than just Penner?

In an interview with Channel Five a couple of weeks ago, Penner implied that he does have the goods on other ministers.

He stated at the time however, that he would not “rat on his colleagues”. It seems very much as if Elvin Penner is holding the entire UDP cabinet at ransom. What is interesting is that while Mr. Barrow has admitted that Elvin Penner has disgraced him and the

21

problem. Mr. Barrow left the country the day after the House meeting and was scheduled to undergo surgery sometime this week.I applaud the Leader of the Opposition for his noble and magnanimous stand in wishing the Prime Minister well. As they say, sickness is for everyone and Schadenfreude is not the PUP way. Proverbs 24:17– 18 warns us to “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not entire United Democratic Party, and thine heart be glad when he stumwhile he has publicly asked Penner bleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it to resign, he still seems to be holddisplease HIM, and he turn away ing Penner close to his bosom. his wrath from him.”

Many will remember in 2011 It is no great loss for the counwhen Marcel Cardona fell out of try that the Prime Minister will be grace, Barrow put Cardona on the away; he is never here anyway. other side of the aisle. When conMr. Barrow does not seem to have fronted about the different way in much faith in what Belize has to which the two outcasts have been offer. When it was time to marry, treated, Barrow commented that he went to Atlanta and whenever “Cardona, in his circumstances, he needs medical attention, he had all but joined the P.U.P. by the jumps on a plane and runs abroad. time we felt that we needed to forThere are many Belizeans with mally get rid of him as part of our back problems but we must rely caucus. That’s not the case with upon the services at KHMH. Too Penner.” What then is the case, Mr. bad we do not have an auditing system in Belize or I am sure that we would find that Mr. Barrow’s mediMr. Barrow does not seem to have much faith cal bills are being paid by in what Belize has to offer. When it was time Belizean taxpayers’ money. There is something to marry, he went to Atlanta and whenever he inherently wrong in the needs medical attention, he jumps on a way this entire system works. The richest ones plane and runs abroad. There are many are taxed the least and Belizeans with back problems but we get the most help while those on the lower rung of must rely upon the services at KHMH the social ladder are taxed excessively and are totally ignored when they need Barrow? And it is obvious that the onto power but the Belizean people help. Pro-poor my ass!

Prime Minister is lying once again. are starting to wise up. Mr. Barrow’s The only political party that Marcel Cardona had made it quite over-inflated vocabulary is no longer cares about poor people in Belize clear that he was still a member of enough to keep the wool over the is the People’s United Party. The the UDP. people’s eyes and albeit slowly, the proof is there for all to see. The It is also interesting to note the country seems to be waking up.

UDP does not even care about difference in infractions. Marcel The impressive turnout at the even their own poor and are only Cardona’s biggest sin was in his convention in Belmopan no doubt concerned about the upper echeown words, “publicly exposing the sent shivers down Mr. Barrow’s lon of the party. It is time to chase obvious sweetheart deal in relation spine and even his high-priced docthese uncaring baldheads out of to the unauthorized and secret Ditors will not be able to help that town! ane Haylock contract with David Gegg.”

Following the 2012 general elections, Penner was made Minister of State in the Immigration Department despite being caught red-handedly involved in suspicious immigration practices. Could it be that they considered him the best qualified candidate for the real function that they had in mind for Immigration?

For his part, Cardona went on to publicly condemn corrupt practices by his own government and was eventually expelled from the party. He held onto his seat until the end of his term but was made to sit on the PUP’s side of the House. The UDP seems to have no real plan to get rid of Penner probably realizing that they haven’t a chance in hell of winning a bi-election and that there is a possibility that Penner might talk.

Of course, there is also the fact that there is another Minister sitting on a shaky seat. Edmund Castro has long been a thorn in Dean Barrow’s side and even had to be expelled from Cabinet following improprieties involving a land scam. A couple months ago, the Taiwan embassy had to make an official report after Castro allegedly made unwelcomed advances toward a young Taiwanese official escort. The report was swept under the rug but it is only a matter of time before there is no more room under that proverbial rug.

The problem facing Dean Barrow is that with a razor thin majority, he can ill afford to lose any of his elected representatives. He has made it abundantly clear that he will do anything and everything to hang

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2013

Let’s Bring Awareness to Teenage Depression

By Dr. Angela Banner Joseph In life, we all sometimes have bouts of the blues. Sometimes you may get one of many symptoms: despair, feelings of tiredness, apathy, lack of interest, angry outbursts, or destructive behavior, which can happen at unexpected moments for an extended period in your life.

These moments in your life may be an illness called depression.

Teens with depression may be labeled crazy, but this is not an accurate statement: you have not done anything wrong, depression is treatable, and you should not be ashamed to ask for help. It is important that you seek the help of a mental health expert or medical professional to help ease you out of that deep, dark, melancholy feeling and shake the blues.

I have seen students who struggled with depression and who shared that on those dark days, they did not feel like taking care of themselves. Depression is a common psychological problem that occurs in teenagers worldwide. Studies have reported that depression affects at least 20 percent of teens before they reach adulthood. Depression can be a dangerous mental health issue, which, if not treated, can lead to alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or teen suicide. Young women are twice as likely as boys are to suffer from depression when they reach puberty.

There is no single cause of depression, anyone can feel it, and there are no specific reasons why teens suffer mental health disorders. Rather, people may have any of a variety of mental health illnesses triggered by psychological, biological, or emotional risk factors that contribute to its development. The most common type of depression in teens is reactive depression, which is caused by an outside influence or event in a person’s life. You may experience this type of depression, especially if you have no control over the factors that cause it, which could include: • Pressure to succeed • The end of a close relationship • Rejection by peers • A bad grade • Death of a loved one • Challenges in school • Peer pressure • Conflicts or violence at home • Dealing with a physical ill-

ness or disability • A humiliating argument with an adult Some teens try to work through their personal problems by themselves; others seek the help of family or friends. Still others need the help of mental health experts.

Today, with medical assistance, you can get the help that you need to function in school and in life with the proper diagnosis, medication, or other type of treatment. Each person seeking professional help responds differently to depression and its many symptoms. Depression is a minor part of who you are as a person, and there is no reason why you have to suffer from a mental health disorder. Depression can control your life for weeks or months and can continue for a significant amount of time. But how you take care of yourself with depression is what matters. Below are a few common symptoms that characterize depression.

Symptoms of Teen Depression • You don’t care about anything • Have low-self esteem • Show poor performance in school • Always feel like crying • Have long bouts of sadness • Feel irritable or anxious • Complain of constant headaches or stomach pains • Withdraw from friends and family • Have trouble sleeping or eating • Feel down on yourself • Hate everyone • Abuse drugs or alcohol • Engage in sexual misconduct Many teens struggling with depression never ask for help because of the stigma they feel is associated with mental illness, because of limited mental health resources, or because of non-awareness of symptoms and treatments. Please do not let depression or any other mental illness remain a closet problem. I write to bring awareness of the problem.

Parents, it is important that you seek help for your child if you believe the child may be suffering with a mental health issue. Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint who is at risk. Teens often suffer for years before they seek professional help. Please do not let depression destroy you or your family, but instead, seek assistance from a mental health professional.

I am not a mental-health expert or a medical professional. I write to bring awareness about the impact teen depression may have on your life, so please seek professional help.

Because this is just a brief overview on teen depression, I recommend that you visit your local library for more information on the subject.

Dr. Angela Banner Joseph holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Change from the Fielding Graduate University

The Government of Belize invites qualified and professional applicants to apply for the post of Solicitor General, Attorney General’s Ministry Belize.

Main responsibilities include: a. Manage the Administration of the Attorney General’s Ministry in Belize; b. Facilitate the implementation of Cabinet decisions relating to the business of the Attorney General’s Ministry; c. Assist with the supervisory management of the Civil Litigation Department, Legislative Drafting and Law Revision Department and the International Affairs Department of the Attorney General’s Ministry and the Legal Aid Centre; d. Prepare legal opinions for the Attorney General, Cabinet and the Governor General of Belize, on inter alia, matters of administrative law and constitutional law; e. Provide general advice and legal opinions to Ministries, government departments and semi- autonomous bodies; f. Provide legal opinions to the Belize Police Department, the Constitutional Commissions and the Belize Advisory Council in accordance with the Public Service Commission Regulations and the Belize Advisory Council Rules; g. Prepare, vet and draft various legal documents ( leases, agreements, licences, memoranda of understanding) etc; h. Assume the conduct of litigation on behalf of the Government of Belize in all Courts; i. To report to and be accountable to the Attorney General Requirements:

(a) Bachelor of Laws Degree (b) Legal Education Certificate (c) At least (10) years Post qualification experience (d) Sound knowledge of Constitutional and Administrative law (e) Specialization in any civil or legal international field would be an advantage; (f) Detailed knowledge of court and practical knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules (g) Ability to adapt and work extended hours.

Persons interesting in applying for the post of Solicitor General can send their applications, along with curriculum vitae on or before the 30th November 2013, to: The Cabinet Secretary Office of the Prime Minister Edney Cain Building Belmopan, Belize Central America

10 NOV

2013

Home Economics Corruption vs. Tax Reform & Systems

By Richard Harrison Belize is like a ship with most of the weight on one side, out of balance, floating in turbulent seas, with big leaks.

The ship is out of balance because the owners of the ship have systematically implemented rules and systems that go against the basics of sailing and put in place Captain’s that do not know anything about sailing a ship, or the rules and systems that create fear or favor, resulting in most of the weight leaning to one side and creating imbalance in the ship. A ship out of balance will not sail properly and the greater the imbalance, the more likely it will go in circles or capsize, instead of sailing full speed ahead.

Thus, the ship is threatened with two principal risks: (1) the imbalance can cause a ship on turbulent seas to rock dangerously from side to side, and any big wave can cause it to capsize (2) the leak will make the ship take in water until it can no longer float, but rather sink.

This analogy helps us to understand the relationship between corruption and tax reform and systems as they relate to righting the ship....and getting it to sail full speed ahead.

Corruption and administering rules and systems with fear or favor forces some to carry the burden of taxes.... while others are facilitated with evasion and/or avoidance.....or afforded special privileges. It makes a few rotten rich.... and the majority poor. For the most part, the ship continues to carry the same weight, but the weight is over to one side....dangerously keeled...with a high perceived, and real, risk.

Evasion is what the poor, small ‘entrepreneurs’ do when they bring vegetables across the river, at night, under the rain, and completely “evade” presenting the goods to customs, so as to evade payment of customs import duties to gain pricing or profit advantage for themselves.

Avoidance is what the rich, large ‘entrepreneurs’ do when they present the goods to customs....but either by “under-invoicing” the value of the goods..... or by blatant bribery of customs officer who make the tariff assessment....are allowed to pay much less than the law, and the spirit of the law, requires.

Both of these discourage domestic production, investment and job creation and they contribute immensely to our growing imbalance of trade...and the huge resulting deficits....and debts that we incur to offset them.

Corruption generally has a facilitator....and a beneficiary. One, or a group, supply the “service” while one, or a group, demand the “service”.

However... it is the rules and systems and the people put in place to administer them that ALLOW these “services” to be in supply....and in demand.

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Throughout my lifetime, I have seen many anti-corruption champions who fail to point out specific rules...and systems....and people....that allow for corruption to take place. They point to the ills and symptoms of corruption but never the CAUSE. Their energies are sapped trying to attack the GENERAL evil of corruption so that by the time they reach down to the specifics they are either devoid of strength to rid the country of this evil....or they have become so intertwined with the promulgators of this evil.....that the evil rubs off on them...and they get sucked into the order of the beneficiary.

With the little human and capital resources available to “reformers” in Belize....there is thus a strategic requirement to pick battles.....to focus...and to aim for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART) objectives.....rather than to go for the general....the whole. To aim for completely ridding Belize of corruption with a generalized campaign is so not SMART. We should learn from those who succeed in their campaigns.

The US wanted Belize to limit its facilitation of movement of potential criminals and terrorists into and out of their country.....so they go after the rules and systems. They help or force Belize to adopt new electronic passports with all kinds of fingerprinting and other technologies....so they can track movement.

The OECD countries wanted to limit tax evasion, fraud and money laundering by their citizens using Belize.... so they demand an FIU, new and specific banking and reporting rules, etc., and they even use their Caribbean subsidiary to keep pushing their interest in Belize.

Since these systems have been put in place....the US and the OECD countries have been picking up their criminals and busting terrorist movements and money launderers with much greater results.....we have seen them on the local news...and their extradition is usually made public.

In fact....many in Belize believe that the tracking systems that the US put in place in Belize....is what is responsible for the bringing to light of the current immigration corruption scandal. It is not something that we in Belize put in place for ourselves. We can be accused of knowing this was going on all along but it was of little consequence to us.

Our “reformers” either felt helpless in doing something about it or, at some point, got sucked into the “easy money” themselves.

In my opinion.....true “reformers” in Belize would shift most of their energies and focus to tax reform and the rules, systems and people put in place to administer them down to the specifics. Chop at the branches and stems first, rather than go direct to the trunk

of the tree.....with a dull machete.

This would amount to plugging the leaks....which would prevent the ship from sinking. After all, what is the use of balancing a sunken ship?

They should start with going after easy targets... where there is obvious ILLEGAL things going on.

For example... the Environmental Tax Act calls for specific funds to administer the revenues generated from it and for specific use of the funds. We all know that the current implementation of this law and the spirit of this law is completely ILLEGAL. Yet, no one challenges this in court....no one seeks to force the government to abide by its own law. A victory for correction of this anomaly in our Supreme Court is very highly realistic Our NATIONAL CONSTITUTION is our supreme law and there are many laws in Belize that are not in line with our constitution, especially those laws that create “fear or favor”, but no one, or group, challenges these laws in the streets.....nor in our Supreme Court.

Laws, rules and systems need to be challenged one by one. In no time, we will see drastic results.

The principal beauty about Belize is that it is small. In the same way it can turn sour quick....in the same way, it can quickly turn sweet again.

It is my honest opinion that those “reformers” would-be revolutionaries who jump on the generalized campaign against corruption are allowing themselves to fall prey to the “political” circus whose end is to “change monkey fu black dawg”.

They are taking their eyes off the ball.

Tax reform, tied in with the relevant laws, rules and systems reform and reform of the process and procedures of appointment of people to administer it, and the performance standards and appraisals that determine their reward and punishment.....is where the meat is.

With a more balanced, fair and lowest-rate tax regime which allows for individuals and businesses to earn and make profit honestly, without fear or favor in a highly competitive and productive economy and with government playing its defined roles in society, appropriately funded and disbursed....is a self-correcting process that will see immediate and steady gains in the standard of honest living of all our people which will be the biggest slap in the face of corruption.

Richard Harrison is a local businessman and investor in the manufacturing and service industries. Mr. Harrison holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from Lancaster University, United Kingdom. Send comments to harrisonbz@yahoo.com

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE A.D. 2012 (DIVORCE) Action No. 167 RACHELLE REBECCA ESTEPHAN CODIANNE

BETWEEN

PETITIONER

and

PATRICK CLARENCE CODIANNE

RESPONDENT

TO: PATRICK CLARENCE CODIANNE TAKE NOTICE that a Petition for dissolution of marriage dated the 13th day of September, 2012 endorsed with a notice to you to appear and answer the charges therein has been filed in the Supreme Court of Belize by RACHELLE REBECCA ESTEPHAN CODIANNE and that you are required within fourteen days of the second publication hereof to enter an appearance at the Supreme Court in Belize City, Belize, should you think fit to do so and thereafter to make answer to the charges in the said Petition AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that in default of your so doing the COURT will proceed to hear the said charges proved and pronounced judgment, your absence notwithstanding.

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2013

Recipe of the week

Conch Fritters Ingredients • 2 cups ground conch • 1/2 cup evaporated milk or coconut cream • 2 tbsps. grated onion • 1 cup flour • 2 tbsps. grated hot green pepper • 3/4 – 1 tsp. salt • 1 1/2 tsps. baking powder • 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper • olive oil or vegetable lard for frying

Directions • Clean conchs by peeling off dark outer skin.

• Rinse thoroughly in lime juice or vinegar. Grind.

• Combine ground conchs, onion, pepper and milk, and mix well.

• Sift dry ingredients together and add to conch mixture, beating until smooth.

• Use a desert spoon to drop batter into very hot oil; fry until evenly brown. Drain on paper towel.

• Serve while hot.

10 NOV

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THE BELIZE TIMES

2013

ADULU - Porridge Delight

SUDOKU!

Using the clues in the box can you guess the Garifuna porridges?

Can you find and circle the pronouns listed below?

Garifuna Pronouns

Farina

Gungunde

Solution

Letu

Down 1. This porridge is made from green bananas. It is also commonly served for breakfast in Jamaica.

BANI (yours) BUGUYA (you) HAN (theirs) HARA (they) HUGUYA (you (pl.)

LAN (his) NUGUYA (I) TAN(hers) TUGUYA (she) WAN (ours)

Across 2. Cassava bread rims, coconut milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla make this delicious treat.

3. Made from ripe bananas this porridge is potassium packed.

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BY ORDER OF CHARGEE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SELL

HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED a statutory body formed and registered under the Credit Union Act, Chapter 314 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, and whose registered office is situated at No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City, Belize District hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Chargee under and by virtue of a Charge registered at the Land Registry between Nicholas Olmedo (Chargor) and Cynthia Olmedo (Borrower) and the said Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited.

2013

BRAIN

TEASER

SUDOKU PUZZLE #42/2013

HRCU will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule below.

ALL offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing to HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED from whom full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained.

SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 4.999 acres being Block 20, Parcel 3163 Belmopan Registration Section situate in Rivera Area, Belmopan West, Cayo District, the freehold property of NICHOLAS OLMEDO, surety for CYNTHIA OLMEDO

See answers NEXT WEEK

DATED the 31st day of October 2013 HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738

Liquor License NOTICE Notice is hereby given that DI LUN ZHENG is applying for a Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “Green Jade”, situate at 9 Miles Northern Highway, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Answers for last week’s puzzle SUDOKU PUZZLE SOLUTION #41/2013

Notice is hereby given that MARTHA BARRIOS is applying for a Malt and Cider Liquor License to be operated at “Mi Casa Cool Spot”, situate at Trial Farm Village, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Answers for last week’s puzzle

See answers NEXT WEEK

10 NOV

27

THE BELIZE TIMES

2013

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

E

V

I

E

W

Selected By Chris Williams

Five fascinating things revealed by Twitter data 7 November 2013 by Hal Hodson When technology companies get floated on the stock market, it prompts all kinds of analytical soul searching. Is Facebook really worth its $135 billion valuation? Is Zynga worth anything at all? Twitter is the latest Silicon Valley darling to offer the public a slice of its financial future. It is pricing its shares at $26 each, which values the company at more than $14 billion.

The company is pinning its hopes on boosted advertising revenues from its social media platform, but it also makes about $47 million a year from licensing its data to other firms. These companies can use the information to identify trends or monitor sentiment, for example. And it is not just big businesses that have an interest in this gold mine of data.

Researchers also analyse it to gain insights into the way we behave.

New Scientist has written about many of these over the years – here are five of the most exciting ones.

1. Tweet for the sick You can use tweets to track the spread of disease. Adam Sadilek at the University of Rochester in New York and his colleagues used Twitter to follow the spread of flu virus in New York City. They used machine learning algorithms to search 4.4 million tweets for signs that people

were feeling unwell. The system could differentiate between actual and metaphorical sickness, so “I’m sick of this traffic”, for example, wouldn’t register as illness. Combining this with location data, the team was able to see how the flu was travelling and predict when twitter users would fall ill. It could, perhaps, one day be used to warn people when they’re about to enter an area with a high infection rate.

2. The evolution of language Twitter isn’t just good for telling you the latest news, it can also show how words are developing and spreading. Jacob Eisenstein of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta tracked the evolution of words. “Bruh”, a variation on “bro”, rose out of the south-eastern United States and made its way to California. “CTFU”, which stands for “cracking the fuck up”, emerged in Cleveland, Ohio, before spreading into Pennsylvania.

3. Beating the stock market Can the fickle swing of Twitter conversation predict the billion-dollar jitters of the stock market?

One hedge fund, Derwent Capital Markets, thought it could, but had to close its doors in May 2012. Twitter’s data can help predict stock market movement though. In October, The Wall Street Journal reported that subscribers to a company called Dataminr got an alert to take action 5 minutes before news of a shooting on Capitol Hill in Washington DC reached US TV. When the news hit the wider media it led to a 20 point drop in the Standard & Poor’s 500 financial index. Dataminr used an algorithmic assessment of Twitter to find the information fast.

4. Mapping America’s emotional state Psychiatrists aren’t running machine learning on their patients’ Twitter profiles – yet. But large volumes of tweets can be used to make

assertions about the happiness of large groups of people. A sentiment analysis run by Alan Mislove of Northeastern University in Boston measured every public tweet posted between September 2006 and August 2009, using a psychological word-rating system to identify happy or sad tweets. It turns out that the US west coast is happier than the east. Happiness peaks each Sunday morning, then dives to an all-week low on Thursday evenings.

5. Track food poisoning in restaurants Social media messages can also tell us which places to eat might give our stomachs a nasty turn. Another system developed

by Sadilek, called nEmesis, gathered 3.8 million New York tweets and ranked them for relevance to food poisoning. Messages containing words like “stomach” and “ill” were some of the key indicators that things weren’t right.

A crowd of online workers then fell on the suspect tweets and ranked them according to likelihood that the tweeter had food poisoning. The human-generated results were used to automatically tag suspect tweets and show which restaurants might be best avoided.

We’ll have the tools to spot nearby aliens by 2030 7 November 2013 SO CLOSE, and yet so far.

We are now pretty certain that there are billions of Earth-like planets in our galaxy – rocky worlds about the same size as ours, orbiting similar stars at similar distances. Ideal places to search for alien life. The nearest may be a mere 12 light years away, too far to visit but certainly close enough to take

a look (see “Fake planets reveal distance to Earth’s nearest twin”).

Unfortunately, we can’t look – at least not yet. The discovery is extracted from data collected by the Kepler Space Telescope, which malfunctioned in May. There may be more surprises buried in Kepler’s data, but its Earthlike-planet-spotting days are over.

Still, the finding bolsters the belief that we are just a few years

away from a truly jaw-dropping discovery. Kepler’s successor, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, is due to launch in 2017. It will scour the sky for small rocky worlds around nearby stars, and is expected to find hundreds. Future instruments such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the proposed StarShade mission will follow up these discoveries, probing the planets’ atmospheres for signs of

life.

The idea that there might be another living planet a few light years from home, orbiting a star visible with the naked eye, is a tantalising prospect.

For better or worse, the odds are stacked against that. But we can be pretty confident that, if life is common in the universe, we will have found signs of it by the middle of the next decade.

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Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

I

was ambling along on the internet one day when I stumbled upon a quote from Mark Twain. It was so breathtaking that I didn’t understand it (yes, the quote was the problem, not me). Mark Twain commented, “I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn’t know.”

I read it once and then twice before it finally dawned on me. All this great writer was saying, in rather fancy terms, was ‘I don’t know everything and I’m okay with that’. Humans don’t know everything, yet we are an arrogant bunch.

We strut around as though we own the world. We create buildings, bridges, and businesses. We make money and feel accomplished. Yet, like the sandcastles I used to make as a child, the tides of life can come at any moment and dissolve our superior delusion. The truth is there are circumstances that occur in life that we just cannot understand.

Why does God allow such bad things to happen to good people? This question is one of the most frequently asked and justly so. Wars are breaking out all over the world, mass genocide reign in countries where the people are so poverty stricken they fear bearing children and introducing their own flesh and blood to living horror. Women are raped, their security and peace of mind as violated as their bodies. Politicians get away with murder and corruption. Sin and evil abound. Why? Why doesn’t God just wipe out the sorry lot of us? Why doesn’t he take evil, turn it on its head and kick it back to hell so hard the flames dance? If God is so powerful, why does it feel like He’s doing … nothing?

See, in the beginning there was no evil. That’s how it was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, so perfect that God came down in the afternoons for coffee cake, milk, and some quality time with His creations. Unfortunately, He had created us with free will. Adam and Eve chose to disobey Him and sin entered creation. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus explains, “He makes the sun rise on the wicked and the good”. Sin makes people do bad things. These bad things happen to the good and the bad. It’s not fair, and it’s not fun. It just happens. We may never get the answers to why God allows certain things to happen while on this earth.

And I’m not afraid to admit: I don’t know. I can tell you what I do know. I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28). I know He knows the plans He has for us; plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future (Jer 29:11). We may not always know the answers or see the bigger picture, but we do know that God does. He never lies, and if He promises to never leave us or forsake us, He means it, doubts and all.

Until next week, God bless

By Dr. Mark Musa

10 NOV

2013

The Diabetes Killer

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar/glucose.

Glucose is an important source of energy for the cells of muscles, tissues and the Brain. If you have Diabetes, it means you have too much sugar in your blood which then damages the small and large blood vessels of most organs leading to complications. Diabetes conditions include type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as Gestational Diabetes which occur during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is delivered.

Symptoms Some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes include: increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision, tiredness, and frequent skin and/or urine infections. Type 1 diabetes typically appears during childhood and adolescence. Type 2, the more common type of diabetes, can develop at any age and is often preventable.

Causes Insulin is a hormone that comes from the pancreas, a gland situated behind and below the stomach. Insulin enables the blood sugar to enter the cells and be used by the tissues and organs as a major source of energy.

Glucose comes from the food we eat and from the liver.

Types Type 1 Diabetes develops because of a problem with the immune system, which causes the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas to be destroyed. This leaves you with little or no insulin and the sugar builds up in the blood. The exact cause of this immune system problem is unclear but is felt to be a combination of genetic (family history) and lifestyle factors.

Type 2 Diabetes occurs when the cells become resistant to the action of insulin. Therefore, the insulin does not work well to allow the sugar to go from the blood into the cells and the sugar builds up in the blood. The cause of Type 2 diabetes is a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Being overweight is strongly linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes occurs as the certain hormones produced by the placenta makes the cells resistant to insulin. If the pancreas cannot produce more insulin to overcome this resistance then the blood sugar builds up in the blood and causes symptoms.

Risk factors Type 1 diabetes is more common in whites than other races. Genetic factors and having a family history of type 1 diabetes increases significantly a person’s risk of developing diabetes.

Being Overweight is the major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The fatter you are the more resistant the cells to the effects of insulin. Being less active increases your risk of type 2 diabetes as exercise controls your weight and uses up the blood sugar for energy. Certain races including Hispanics, Blacks and Asians have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Other metabolic conditions such as high triglycerides, low good cholesterol HDL and high blood pressure are linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

The risk factors for gestational diabetes are similar to type 2 diabetes with being overweight before or excessive weight gain during pregnancy being the main risk.

10 NOV

2013

THE BELIZE TIMES

29

EDITORIAL Español

Seis; no es media docena

Barrow y el UDP están tomando a Beliceños por tontos. ¡Ellos piensan que somos estúpidos!

Es innegable que un crimen se ha cometido por Elvin Penner. Esta también claro que el UDP está jugando juegos políticos, pretendiendo castigarlo.

Hubo un gran canto y danza para que Penner renuncie. Luego todas estas cosas confusas donde se le pidió que renuncie. Bla, bla, bla. Es todo un juego.

El UDP está tomando Beliceños por idiotas. ¿Recuerda el gran resoplo de Godwin Hulse sobre esta nueva ley que curaría todos los futuros males? ¿Recuerda la “investigación” para llegar al fondo de los crímenes de pasaporte? ¿Qué paso… el FIU le tiene miedo a una investigación? La policía es incompetente. Incluso el policía jefe principal, Comisionado Whylie, tiene miedo de tocar el tema, y prefiere hacerse el ridículo al decir que nunca había oído hablar de ello, porque donde se hospedaba está bajo una roca.

En cuanto al Ombudsman Defensoría del Pueblo, no esperen ningún tipo de investigación de él. Así es como el UDP quería esa oficina y que tomó el mejor y más despistado para el puesto.

Entonces, ¿quién va a investigar?

La “investigación” que el UDP está haciendo, en sí mismos, es “administrativo”. Godwin es el encargado de investigar a sí mismo. Esto no tiene sentido.

Lo que hace menos sentido es que la pretensión de una investigación no está mirando a los principales y obvio sospechosos. ¿Cómo pueden las autoridades llevar a cabo una investigación que no incluya Elvin Penner? No incluya Eric Chang? No incluya John Saldivar? Y no incluye Edmund Castro? ¡Qué burla!

Pero el plan es lanzar arriba mucho humo y espejos para que el público este agobiado, confundido y, finalmente, se olviden de este escándalo de pasaporte.

El UDP está tratando de ganar tiempo. Ellos están esperando que usted, el público, se canse. Para que su interés se disminuya.

El UDP no tiene ninguna intención de reformar o parar el ajetreo sobre visas y pasaportes. No tienen ninguna intención de averiguar cuál es el problema. Saben cuál es el problema. El problema es la corrupción UDP. No tienen intención de castigar a sí mismos.

Por eso, la investigación del Senado era tan importante. La moción por el PUP para la investigación del Senado era una gran amenaza para la corrupción y el encubrimiento de la UDP. En nuestra opinión, aquí en el BELIZE TIMES, el saboteo UDP sobre la moción a favor de la investigación del Senado sobre los Crímenes de los Passport es peor que el sabotaje UDP del Comité de Cuentas Públicas.

Esto demuestra dos cosas importantes. La primera es que el PUP es serio en relación a reformas y soluciones. En segundo lugar, se demuestra que la UDP es pretenciosa y corrupta en todos niveles. El UDP es corrupto como institución. Al principio se cubrieron bien pero ahora es fácil de ver. ¿Por qué es el fracaso del Senado UDP tan imperdonable?

Usted debe darse cuenta de que cuatro de los seis senadores son designados como ministros. Esto significa que se sientan en el Senado y se sientan en el Gabinete de Ministros. Joy Grant es la Ministra de Ciencia y Energía.

Charles Gibson es Ministro de la Función Pública. Lisel Alamilla es el Ministro de Bosques y Desarrollo Sostenible y el Auto proclamado justo, tránsfugo, Godwin Hulse es el Ministro de Inmigración.

Lo peor que le puede pasar a cualquiera de estas personas es para que sean despedidos o dimitan si deciden apoyar la investigación del Senado sobre este crimen internacional. Eso es lo que una persona de integridad haría. Lamentablemente no en este grupo.

No olvidemos lo que dijo Barrow al nombrar a sus senadores de Gabinete intolerantes a la corrupción: “Me acerqué a la gente como Godwin, Lisel, Joy Grant y Charles Gibson, todas las personas de la mayor integridad posible.”

“Esperamos, y es una de las razones por las que [Godwin] ha pedido unirse al gobierno es que va a traer a la mesa en el gabinete a su misma posición contra la corrupción feroz.” ¡Qué fracaso! La retrospección es 20/20.

Godwin Hulse no sólo instiga el encubrimiento y estrategia UDP para frustrar una investigación, incluso se negó a excusarse en la votación. Ninguno de los otros “balizas de la virtud” se inclinó hacia él y lo llamó a la tarea. Ninguno.

Pero Dean Barrow explica por qué Godwin es causa de risa que se vendio: “El hecho de que Godwin lo largo de los años había sido un monitor de popa, ha sido una especie de vigilante en nombre de la sociedad, ha sido un organismo de control, no significa que nunca se alejó de sus raíces y su apoyo UDP. Ha sido una especie de hombre para la eternidad... Pero una cosa que ha sido una constante ha sido el hecho de que Godwin es UDP ...

El gobierno UDP siempre ha sido una farsa. Un grupo bien reclutados de los estafadores y decepciones incompetentes.

A la larga el PUP tendrá que arreglar esto. El PUP tendrá que limpiar esto. El programa de reforma del PUP que es impulsado a solución tendrá para curar este problema.

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THINK ABOUT IT A DAY OF SHAME Well, there it is people. The government had it all planned. The six government-appointed Senators were to vote against a motion for a Senate Inquiry and if the three social sector Senator voted along with the three opposition Senators, the UDP President of the Senate would cast his vote making the government have seven Senators voting against the motion.

Sure enough the Senators representing the churches, the unions and the private/business sectors voted their conscience and supported the motion for a Senate Inquiry into the Immigration/Penner/Passport scandal.

The result of the voting. Six for the Motion. Six against the Motion. The flunkie president then attempted to cast his vote along with the disgraceful government six. Senator Lisa Shoman was waiting for him. Don’t you even touch that dial – Lisa told him. You have no legal authority to vote on or against such a motion. The Constitution of Belize is your boss and it states clearly you Have No Authority to Vote.

The flunkie President looked like a pussy-cat caught trying to eat the little gold-fish out of the aquarium. He slinked down in his chair and covered his shameful face behind some tattered papers.

So ended a historic Senate meeting.

So ended another clear message to the nation. The government has no intention to conduct an IMPARTIAL investigation into the scandal ridden Penner, Castro and the Immigration department.

Put another way, the government is saying ‘to hell with the churches, to hell with the Unions, and to hell with the Chamber of Commerce and all the thousands of their member and followers. I, Dean Oliver Barrow, am telling you I will not allow any impartial independent investigation’.

There is one other matter we wish to note. Senator Godwin Hulse should not have voted in the Senate. He has violated the Constitution and put himself into a conflict of interest and has called the integrity of himself and his Ministry into question.

It is a gross conflict of interest.

Wednesday in the Senate was a day of shame for our nation.

PATRICK ANDREWS – AWESOME Patrick Andrews came out of Sunday’s convention in Belmopan like the Lion of Judah. His impressive victory has sent a major boost into the rank and file of the People’s United Party and fear into the Pharaohs of the U.D.P. Patrick is the son of U.D.P. hero, the late Joseph Andrews of Cayo. His uncle is a strong UDP, and Manager of one of the local banks. His sister who holds a double Masters degree was an active UDP, but thanks to Dean Barrow, she like many others are drawing away from the disgraced, scandal ridden party.

The Patrick Andrews Convention brought out 1,993 voters. Belmopan consists of another 2,000 plus public officers who have to live in fear of UDP victimiza-

tion and so did not attend Sunday’s public convention.

The Convention also marks the end of UDP Minister John Saldivar. Patrick’s campaign slogan in English and Spanish was “God, Family and Country”, “Por Dios, Familia y Patria”.

Patrick is a strong Christian and is married with two children. His rivals in the convention were Dr. Amin Hegar, Ruth Logan and Oscar Mira. The new comers put up an excellent fight, energizing the voters. They can win the Town Council.

Congratulations are in order for all the candidates and their support teams including Maureen Leslie, Patrick’s General.

To Patrick and his team, do not ease up. Don’t stop the campaigning. Your goal is to win by the largest voter margin in the history of that constituency.

Respect everything.

God is Great.

CORDEL Leader of the Opposition, and future Prime Minister, Hon Francis Fonseca, is timing the return of Cordel Hyde with major initiatives on the Southside of Belize City and from the Party Executive.

The U.D.P. election strategy will clearly be based entirely on bribery and corruption money. Everyone who can be bribed will be bribed. Poor people will be treated like aliens - they will be bought out.

It will be up to Cordel and the new PUP team to block and repudiate that old school approach.

Remember what the street people used to say – ‘tek dem money and vote them out’.

there is not a single person who is man enough or woman enough to tell him he is wrong. Democracy starts within a politician’s party. The UDP Cabinet Ministers are devoid of back-bone and no one expects any Minister or group of Ministers to hold the Prime Minister to a high standard of governance. The same applies to the UDP members in the National Assembly, who incidentally are all Ministers or Deputy Ministers.

In Belize, we are experiencing a pappy-show form of democracy and a low level of good governance.

The Prime Minister, who has publicly called himself Prometheus Unbound, has been morphing into Prometheus Unwound.

Having started his Prime Ministership with a huge majority in the House of Representatives and high hopes for good government, the man has squandered all good will and degenerated into just another deceitful politician.

The chickens are coming home to roost.

The lid is off the facade of the government.

Everyone now sees Mr Barrow and his government for what they really are.

Incompetence, corruption and arrogance rules the land.

There was a time, the vaunted Prime Minister could explain away any wrong-doing, any suspicion of abuse and corruption; citizens and the media were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Not anymore.

The tide has turned against a Prime Minister who has over-reached, over-explained, twisted the truth, become lord and master and now is openly covering up corruption for the past 50 days as the sore festers and the public demand the right thing.

Democracy, after all, is of the people, it is by the people, and it is for the people.

There is no mention of, for the Prime Minister and his party, anywhere in there.

PRIME MINISTERIAL GOV’T WHISTLE-BLOWER Constitutional lecturers and professors in Britain and the Caribbean in analyzing the British governmental system, always include a caveat.

That concern centers around weak Parliaments and strong parties in government i.e. the Executive Branch. Of course, the existence of a weak Judiciary adds to the matrix.

What Belizeans are experiencing under the Dean Barrow government is a level of Prime Ministerial government in its negative connotations.

Prime Minister Barrow is using his unique set of circumstances to spit in the face of public opinion and what is right and proper in a democracy.

The call for an independent investigation into the Penner/passport/immigration scandals is a righteous call. In a functioning democracy there would not have been need for such a Call as the Prime Minister himself would have ordered an inquiry.

In Belize, the Prime Minister is openly defiant against large sections of the private sector, unions and other organizations including the constitutional opposition party representing 48 percent of the nation.

The Prime Minister can ignore and defy the nation because in his party

A person who comes out in public and exposes wrong doing is referred to as a whistle-blower.

In more responsible and mature democracies there are legislations to provide encouragement and protection for those who feel compelled to expose abuse, wrong doing and even criminal acts inside the work-place, whether in the private sector or the public service.

It is understood that the leader of the People’s United Party has included a Whistle-Blowers law on the agenda of his party’s reform platform for public discussion early next year.

An outstanding whistleblower in the modern history of the U.S.A. was Daniel Ellsberg who revealed the “Pentagon Papers” concerning America’s illegal war in Vietnam.

In our present time the greatest whistle-blowers in the world is American citizen Edward Snowden, who is seeking political asylum in Russia. He revealed the nightmarish extent of the U.S.A. government illegal snooping and collection of phone calls, as mail, and text messages – billions of telephone calls are being illegal collected and stored by the U.S.A. Including calls of world leaders, and citizens in other countries.

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2013

In Belize, not a single whistle blowers has dared to come forward. Not from Cabinet, any Ministry, any government department; including “hot-bed of corruption” lands Ministry or cesspool of irregularity Immigration Department.

On the Wednesday morning show on Love FM saw Hubert Enriquez and Bobby Lopez added their voice of condemnation against the Prime Minister and especially Minister Godwin Hulse for defying the nation’s calls for an independent inquiry into the immigration department.

A lady from Stann Creek, now publicly named, has been brave enough to come public and expose Hon. Edmund Castro for allegedly being involved in the sale of visas through the immigration department.

It is an extraordinary act of bravery on her part. Her allegations appear very credible. Belizeans should also know that officials at the US Embassy in Belmopan interviewed this lady for over two hours, showing her dozens of photographs of persons of interest to them who never set foot in Belize but have been given visas.

As we write, a second Whistle-Blower has come forward and has evidence of Penner’s wrong doing and of another Minister’s boldface hustling and bribery.

There is a powerful saying in the Holy Bible – whatsoever is done in the dark will come out in the light.

CHRISTMAS WEATHER It is Thursday 7 November 2013. It could well be 7 December. The weather has gone from humid, hot and uncomfortable, to misty morning with cool Christmas breeze.

This Christmas will be a fabulous one for the one percent of the population who are wealthy and comfortable; for government Ministers and their cronies.

For police, public officers, nurses, teachers and soldiers it will be another stressful December in which their stagnant, low-salaries are unable to meet their bills. They are not dreaming of a bright Christmas. Santa will pass their homes.

Their children will have to settle for left overs.

While the Prime Minister boasts that he has millions upon million upon millions to engage in election bribery.

Dear Prime Minister could you start the bribery now by giving the nation’s employees their salaries increase this December?

Please.

PEOPLE’S UNITED PARTY The People’s United Party must keep up the pressure on this unpopular government.

Now that the six government flunkies, sorrow Senator, voted AGAINST holding a Senate inquiry into the Penner/ immigration scandal, the gloves must come off from the Opposition party.

Boycott all committees, Board and Services Commission which the Opposition are required to be members.

Keep in touch with the Unions, churches, Chamber of Commerce V.I.P. and all other social partners on ways to ensure our democracy cannot be stifled by the government.

Plan for a general strike.

Plan for civil disobedience.

10 NOV

Illegal CENTRAL BANK Governor!

Belize City, November 6, 2013 It is clear that the present UDP government is hell bent on breaking the Laws of Belize in ev-

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ery aspect. Recent reports coming out of the Ministry of Finance is that the Prime Minister is resisting pres-

Will cane farmers boycott Nov 25th crop start date?

Continued from page 10 the profits but what about the risks we are taking? It has taken $126 million to be able to convert that waste product into something that is now going to be generating some return. And that return has to allow us to be able to recover out investment,” Carballo explained.

He added that the current agreement is clear that cane farmers sell cane to BSI. That cane becomes the sole property of the factory. The agreement also states that the payment of cane is derived from sugar revenues.

“One of the concepts that is put forward is that they sell sugar, they don’t sell cane and that because they sell sugar now they are selling bagasse as well so why haven’t we be paying for the bagasse all this time. That is a false concept because what they have been selling is cane and that is the reason why what comes with the cane is our responsibility. We arrive for net strip value for sugar and molasses and that is shared 65% to farmers and 35% to BSI but what we are buying is cane,” Carballo declared in the 2009 interview.

While the factory-cane farmers’ relations have been relatively peaceful and respectful since ASR took majority ownership under controversy a year ago, the lobby for bagasse payment may be a turning point.

Last month, negotiations for a new commercial agreement between BSI and the BSCFA fell through when the factory representatives indicated that they will not pay cane farmers for bagasse. The BSCFA had proposed that their farmers be paid $10.00 per ton of bagasse produced by the cane delivered to the mill.

In response, the BSCFA walked out of a strategic planning meeting for industry stakeholders hosted by BSI on Wednesday October 30, 2013. At that meeting, then BSCFA Committee of Management Chairman Alfredo Ortega accused the Yankee owners, ASR, of “assuring their future at the expense of our cane farmers”.

The BSCFA has warned that if their calls for negotiations continue being ignored, cane farmers are prepared to stand united and not start crop on November 25th.

sures being brought on him to renew the contract for the Governor of the Central Bank which expired on September 30, 2013.

The person who was occupying the Governor seat since September 2008 was UDP crony, former ACB member Glenford Ysaguirre.

Ysaguirre is a rabid UDP supporter and close confidant of Patrick Faber and Juliet Thimbriel. It has been reported that on election night he was the lead counter for Patrick Faber.

It seems that the Central Bank Governor’s seat is vacant because Ysaguirre supported Faber wholeheartedly for the Deputy Leader bid against Gaspar Vega. Juliet Thimbriel jumped Faber’s sinking ship and went with the big money don, Gapi Vega. Vega trashed Faber handily under the weighted support of Barrow. Vega is known to be unforgiving and is reportedly leaning heavy on the Prime Minister to appoint a new Governor. So the search is on, but not without heavy lobbying coming from the Faber camp. They were frantically looking at Allan Slusher, former Governor, Yvette Alvarez/Marion Palacio, and former Deputy Governors. But for the time being, the search/appointment will have to wait until Barrow returns from his

The Barrow Sham

UDP Blocks Senate...

Continued from page 3 declares: “The President of the Senate shall have a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes in respect of any business at a meeting of the Senate; Provided that if the President of the Senate- (a) is a Senator, he shall have an original but not a casting vote, and (b) is not a Senator, he shall not have a vote”.

Pech, who is not an appointed Senator, should have done the constitutionally appropriate and adjourned the meeting if he needed clarification on the matter of Senator Shoman’s intervention. But despite appearing worried and confused, the UDP-appointed President acted illegally hurriedly proceeded to cast his vote. He then declared that “…the outcome of the division: six Senators in favor and seven against. So I think the NOs have it”. Hulse then rushed to adjourn the meeting, despite protestations by Senator Shoman. The Social Partner Senators observed the entire debacle.

Senator Shoman has declared that if the Senate papers do not indicate a tie vote, the Opposition PUP is prepared to challenge the proceedings in the Supreme Court.

hiatus.

For Belize this is sad, because the Central Bank of Belize is rudderless and yet we are paying Ysaguirre to occupy the seat of Governor while he cannot make any legally decisions. In short, he is a lame duck Governor.

Under the Laws of Belize, Central Bank of Belize Act, Chapter 262, the Governor is an ex-officio of the Board of Directors and a key component in those meetings. The Governor of the Central Bank is appointed by the Governor General of Belize, via an Instrument of Appointment on the advice of the Prime Minister for a period not to exceed five (5) years. The Governor of the Central Bank is paid remunerations as determined by the Prime Minister.

We list the above paragraph to emphasize the point that five (5) years has expired and by law it has to be renewed under a new instrument of appointment. It cannot rollover automatically. Until such time that a new Governor is appointed, the Central Bank is leaderless. This is causing much confusion among Central Bank employees and management as they are uncertain if they should take any instruction from Ysaguirre, because they know it is un-

lawful, and whether he should be paid any salary, while he remains in the Governor’s office illegally.

Of great concern is that anything done by Ysaguirre, presently, is no binding and illegal. For example every Board meeting he attends in the capacity as Governor after September 30 has been illegal, because there is no appointment that authorizes him to attend as an ex-officio member/director.

Every conference he attends as Governor is monies spent improperly. Every document he signs after his contract expired is illegal.

This UDP government continues to defy the Laws of Belize. They continue to incriminate the system of governance either via ignorance or intentionally. In the same vein that Barrow allowed Penner to illegally sign nationality certificates, knowing fully that Penner is a Minister of State and should not sign, he is allowing Ysaguirre to a operate as Governor of Central Bank without proper appointment. As a result of these illegal actions right thinking Belizeans can only draw two conclusions, the UDP under Barrow are either sworn criminals or ignorant incompetents.

CARTOON

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10 NOV

2013