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The March 31st, 2013 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE
This Week's Stories:
- EXCERPTS FROM BUDGET DEBATE:
- ICJ Referendum DOA? Belize Government Rejects Guatemala's Proposals:
On March 26,
2013, the Governemnt
of Belize,
through its Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, issued the following
self-explanatory Press Release:
The Government of Belize,
having had occasion to review
the proposals by the Republic of
Guatemala as presented in writing
on 17th March, 2013 to Secretary
General of the Organization
of American States, Jose Miguel
Insulza, for the parties to consider
postponement of the referenda
for an indefinite period or for Belize
to proceed on its own to hold
a referendum on the agreed date,
has decided to reject the Guatemalan
proposals in their entirety.
The Government of Belize
notes that tremendous efforts
over many years and through successive
administrations have been
spent in finding a negotiated solution
that would bring to a definitive
end Guatemala's unfounded
claim to Belize, and that the failure
of these attempts is what led to the
signing of the Special Agreement
by Belize, Guatemala and the OAS
on 8th December, 2008.
- Big Up the Cops!
Quick Response Foils Kidnapping:
Police have foiled a
kidnapping in Corozal. On
Sunday Night in Corozal
Town, a one-year-old child,
Ivy Yang Chen, was taken at
gunpoint from her mother,
Mei Tang Chen. Kidnappers
demanded a ransom
of US $450 Thousand.
But, the Police responded quickly and their
prompt action freed the
child form her kidnappers.
Here is the story as related
by the Police to the media
on Wednesday, and as reported
by Channel 7 News.
Allen Whylie
Police Commissioner:
"On Sunday, to be
exact, we had a very heinous
unspeakable crime
that was committed
against a young mother.
In the Corozal district
sometime after 7:30
that night, she was driving
on a road in Santa Rita Village
area, where 2 vehicles
intercepted her vehicle and
stop her from moving. Several
persons came out of
that vehicle and took her
baby away, basically kidnap
her child, a 1 year old baby."
- Who Will It Be Now?
Cross Country Classic Coming!:
After five-years of Belizean
drought, with Foreigners
drinking up all the Cross
Country glory, last year, 2012,
young Giovanni Choto reclaimed
the Garland for Belize
and made all of us proud.
Who will it be in 2013?
That's what everybody wants to
know. On Holy Saturday, March
30, 2013 we will all find out.
Belizean again, or
back to the Foreigners? What
will it be; and who will it be?
- From the Desk
of the Chairman: Life and Death - Cycle of Cycles:
It's that
time of
the year
once again
when issues of Life
and Death come into
sharp focus. It is,
of course, the Easter
Season, which is
centrally about how
one Man died in order
that all Mankind
might live.
Everywhere, in
every way, the cycle
of Life and Death
constantly plays out
before us and around
us. But, in this part
of the World, in this
peculiar Land, there
is something in 2013
that tells us there is
more at hand than
just another turn in
the regular cycle.
Indeed, by all
accounts, the year
just ended a quarter
ago marked for us the
end of an entire cycle;
the cycle of cycles,
if you will; and the
beginning of something
completely new.
- Congrats!:
The Ministry of
Health extends congratulations
to Dr. Marjorie
Parks on her Outstanding
Women Award by the
Women's Department
of the Ministry of Human
Development, Social
Transformation and Poverty
Alleviation.
Dr. Parks was nominated
for this award by the
Nurses' Association of Belize.
The award was given
to her Wednesday Night,
March 27, 2013 at a ceremony
at the Bliss Center
for the Performing Arts.
Each year, the
Women's Department
chooses six women - one
from each district - for
their outstanding contributions
to their organization and community.
The Women's Department
feels that "it is important
to take note of all the honourees'
contribution and
to use the ceremony to reenergize
their efforts in the
path that leads to women's
empowerment and respect
for human rights."
- New Venezuelan Ambassador
Presents credentials to Governor General:
His Excellency Yoel
Del Valle Perez Marcano,
Ambassador of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela
to Belize has presented his
credentials to the Governor
General of Belize, His Excellency
Sir Colville Young.
The Governor General
extended a warm welcome to
the Ambassador on behalf of
the people of Belize; and both
the Governor General and
the Ambassador expressed
hope for the continuation
of their strong and cordial
diplomatic relationship.
- Prime Minister on Leave:
The Office of the
Prime Minister informs
that the Hon. Dean
Barrow departed the
Country Wednesday,
March 27, 2013
on personal leave.
During the Prime
Minister's absence,
Hon. Gaspar Vega,
the Deputy Prime
Minister, will act
as Prime Minister.
Prime Minister
Dean Barrow expects
to return to Belize
on Easter Monday,
April 1, 2013.
- PUBLIC CAUTION
Prime Minister on Leave
Rising Cases of Hepatitis A:
The Ministry of Health
is investigating a cluster of
fourteen suspected cases of
Hepatitis A that have occurred
over the last three weeks
in the Trio Village, Stann
Creek District. One such case
has been confirmed by lab.
Hepatitis A is a food
and waterborne disease with
symptoms that may include
yellowing of the eyes and
skin, dark urine, light-colored
stool along with mild
fever, vomiting, diarrhea and
loss of appetite among others.
This self-limiting disease can also be contracted
from
close contact
with infected
individuals.
T h e
Ministry advises
the public
to take
necessary
precautions
(as listed below)
to prevent
contamination
and spread of the virus.
- "Stop Trying to Scare the Belizean People!" Belmopan Member Rebuts Leader of the Opposition:
Let me first observe
that there are two
traditional markers,
standards or yardsticks used to
judge a country's performance,
or in this case, the performance
of the United Democratic Party
Government, My Government.
And Mr., Speaker, let me
say for the record that there are
some who take issue with my
reference to this United Democratic
Party Government, this
Government of the Honorable
Dean Oliver Barrow, as "My
Government". I continue to so
unabashedly because, unlike
those on the other side who are
ashamed of the record of their
government between 1998 and
2008 and ashamed of associating
themselves with the Government
of Said Musa, I am
extremely proud of this United
Democratic Party Government,
and exceedingly proud of my
Prime Minister, the Honorable
Dean Oliver Barrow (applause).
- Faith Lift
By Zelda Hill:
The Resurrection of Christ: Blind Faith or Fact?:
Without the
physical resurrection
of Jesus Christ from
the dead, Christianity
is baseless. Today,
over 2 billion people
worldwide claim to be
Christians and thus
embrace faith in the
deity, virgin-birth,
suffering, death and
bodily resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
Christians in
Belize join yearly with
Christendom to commemorate
the Lenten
Season and Easter,
during which many
commit to fasting
and to giving up certain
luxuries while
others reflect on and
celebrate the spiritual
significance of
Jesus' sufferings and
triumphant resurrection
from the dead.
- All in Two Days' WorK
PM Barrow Wraps Up Debate on 2013-2014 Budget:
Mr. Speaker, let
me try to deal
as quickly as I
can with what the main protagonists
on the other side had to say.
You know I was told that
I should try to respond to at
least each of their Deputy Leaders,
but there are so many deputy
leaders, that I am afraid I have
to abandon the enterprise (applause)!
A lot of chiefs and very
few Indians over on that side!
Anyway, I do want to
bear well in mind, Mr. Speaker,
as we conclude this marathon
session, your admonition
right at the start as to conduct.
And I think, by and large, you
have been rewarded; I feel
the debate has been relatively
civil. I don't want to depart
from that, but I do have to
sound a warning, Mr. Speaker.
It is a hollowed parliamentary
tradition everywhere
in the civilized world, you
know, for opponents to deploy
language as a weapon. This is
what happens in high-quality
debates; you employ words as
a sword on which to impale the
other side. There's nothing quite
like a well-turned phrase; a shaft
that hits the mark.
- "Busy Serving the People"
(Presentation by Hon. Rene Montero during Budget Debate 2013-2014):
Mr. Speaker, I rise
in support of
the 2013/2014
budget. But before I continue
with my presentation I must take
time to publicly congratulate our
Prime Minister the Hon. Dean
Barrow for his stewardship in the
successful renegotiation of the
super bond. Once again he has
proven the 'nay-Sayers' wrong,
and has proven that only a UDP
Government can successfully deliver
this country through financial
hardship.
The past year has been a
successful one for the Ministry
of Works regardless of the many
challenges we have been faced
with and the numerous obstacles
we had to overcome. Nonetheless,
I am pleased to report
that due to superb leadership,
dedication, and hard work of the
WORKS TEAM we were able to
show marked improvement in
the road infrastructure of this
jewel.
Budgetary constraints
continues to be a reality not only
in this country, but in all developing
economies thus the reason
we are ever mindful of our Prime
Minister's advice of the need to
enhance the institutional capacity
of ministries and encourage
sustained improvement in their
performance and management
so that we can meet the expectations
of the various stakeholders
in our development efforts.
- Congrats & Welcome : Recruit Intake #88
130 New Officers Join The Ranks of the Belize Police Department:
Graduation Ceremonies
were held on Tuesday,
March 19, 2013 for 130 new
officers of the Belize Police
Force who make up Recruit
Squad #88.
During the Ceremonies,
Awards were given out
in various categories. Baton
of Honor went to RPC 1528
Andy Rodriguez; In the Written
Exam, First Place went to
RPC 1450 Rodrigo Castillo,
and Second Place to RPC 1528
Andy Rodriguez; the award
for Most Consistent Recruit
went also to RPC 1528 Andy
Rodriguez.
The Best Physical
Condition Award was taken
by RPC 1480 Daniel Jimenez;
the 1st Shooting Qualification
Award went to RPC 1467 David
Gongora; the Commandant's
Prize was received by
WRPC 1544 Lourdes Torres;
and the 1st in First Aid Award
went to RPC 1579 Zair Pott.
- More Expert-Training for Crime-Fighters
UN and UK Sponsor Forensic Ballistic Training:
The United Nations
Regional Centre for Peace,
Disarmament and Development
in Latin America and
the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in
collaboration with the British
High Commission in Belize
and the Ministry of National
Security has conducted a
one-week Training on Forensic
Ballistics mainly in support
of criminal investigations and
the counter-proliferation of
firearms and ammunition.
A one day seminar entitled
'Overview of Forensic
Ballistics for Decision-Makers
and Policy-Makers' was
followed by a 4 day technical
course exclusively for forensic
technicians, forensic scientists
and other specialized personnel.
These activities form part
of UNLIREC´s broader technical
assistance to countries
of the Caribbean and Central
America focused on curbing
illicit small arms trafficking
and reducing armed violence.
- Police Restructures to
Meet New Challenges:
Some significant fine-tuning
has been taking place within
the Police Department to better
equip it to meet the new challenges.
On March 18, 2013, Commissioner
Allen Whylie summoned
the media to a Press Briefing where
he outlined the changes which are
intended for greater efficiency and
effectiveness.
"We cannot be satisfied in
terms of the status quo, and the
way how things have been done in
the past. And whilst there will be
pit falls, challenges and difficulties,
rest assured that we firmly believe
that the senior leadership level,
that these changes are for the betterment
of the department as well
as the services to the nation." The policing zones of the
country have been re-constructed
to ensure that important administration
is carried under the direct
command of senior officers. There are 4 different regions or zones;
Commander of the Northern Region
is Sr. Superintendent Joseph
Myvette. Eastern Zone Commander
is Assistant Commissioner of
Police Miguel Segura. Senior Superintendent
Aaron Guzman commands
the Western Region. And
Senior Superintendent Robert
Mariano commands the Southern
Region.
- Belmopan Kids and Youth Cup 2013:
Belmopan City
Council
Kids and Youth Cups
2013
(Organized by Belmopan
Football League)
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