Saldivar Says Severo Situation Not Severe
It will be one of the most enduring images of the pre-election season, the sight of San Pedro UDP Councilor Candidate Severo Guerrero behind the computer at the elections and Boundaries Office in San Pedro, doing God knows what.
Chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai told us that the Officer in charge of the sub-office, Marilee Squires communicated to her that Guerrero was asked to assist in fixing a problem with the office's computer, except, Guerrero is known on the island to be a Dentist, not a computer technician. More than that, he is also a candidate in the upcoming Town Board elections.
Squires has been recalled from her San Pedro posting and an investigation is underway.
As we understand it, Squire's first report was lacking in detail and she has been written to requesting that she provides a more detailed report. The Elections and Boundaries office is also awaiting the written report from the two officers who went to investigate yesterday. They have also called for the immediate suspension of Squires who, according to reports, has admitted that she was wrong for having Guerrero in the office. She has been sent on Administrative leave.
Today, Minister with responsibility for Elections and Boundaries, John Saldivar told the media that while the incident is regrettable, whatever Severo Guerrero was doing can have no effect on the final voters' list.
Here's his explanation:..
Hon. John Saldivar
"I can state categorically, Jules, that he had no business being in that office and the officer that had him in there has certainly exercised a great indiscretion and that will be dealt with internally. But at the same time I want to say that his being in there has not in any way compromised anything at all in the office because you will not have any access to any change within the system."
Jules Vasquez
"But he must know that there was going to be a purpose served?"
Hon. John Saldivar
"Whatever his purpose was, it could not have been in any way compromising of the system. That is all I can say."
Jules Vasquez
"You say that but......."
Hon. John Saldivar
"Because I know the system and he cannot get into that system."
Jules Vasquez
"I am a layman, he is going in there and he will take my name off the list because I am "a so and so" supporter."
Hon. John Saldivar
"He cannot do that."
Jules Vasquez
"Why is that?"
Hon. John Saldivar
"He cannot add/delete from the voters' list because the process by which somebody is added or deleted from the voters list is one that involves the court of Belize. It involves the publishing of these names, involves the public knowing that these persons are going to be put on or not put on the list, involves going to the court to argue before the court why they should or should not be on the list, involves an official publication which is available to all parties, political parties or interested persons, so you cannot just put or take someone off the list."
And so while the voters list is inviolable at the sub office level - Severo Guerrero still has not availed himself to offer an explanation of what he was doing behind the computer.
And tonight the computers at the Immigration Department in Belmopan will also continue to be humming late into the night as they were last night.
These pictures show activities at that office late last night - as they were the night before. Director Of Immigration Ruth Meighan has freely admitted that the office remained open to provide a service at the directive of her minister.
And another naturalization session is expected tomorrow, the fourth in two weeks. So far, unofficial numbers say that just under 800 persons have been naturalized in this pre-election rush.
And, today the rush at that office continues, unabated; word is that another naturalization session is planned for tomorrow.
It's planned for the morning when all others have been done in the afternoon - and that's because tomorrow is also the deadline for registration - and the while idea is to get these new citizens registered as voters.
So tomorrow night, will it be the turn of the Election and Boundaries office to stay open late to facilitate the new registrants?
Minister John Saldivar says they will only go so far:..
Jules Vasquez
"We expect that tomorrow or tonight maybe the elections and boundaries offices will be open until late facilitating mainly UDP politicians with their new registrants for the next elections."
Hon. John Saldivar
"Facilitating persons attempting to get registered and I can tell you this: that only persons who have been at the office at the time of closing if they're in the office they will be facilitated. We will not just put them out, but no one will be able to get there after the closing time and be registered."
Jules Vasquez
"So it won't be that you all are open until 11:30pm?"
Hon. John Saldivar
"Only the persons in there at 5 o" clock when the office closes will be dealt with by the officers."
And tonight, the Elections and Boundaries office has one more issue to contend with. The PUP filed an application for judicial review against in the Supreme Court against chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai.
The issue is that the party had written to Tamai requesting permission for the for a member of the Corozal South East PUP Executive to visit the Registering Office and inspect the binders of voters, under the Representation of People's Act.
The PUP says The Chief Elections Officer yesterday wrote the Secretary General of the PUP denying this request.
The application challenges what the PUP calls an unreasonable refusal of the Chief Elections Officer.
Channel 7
What you doing in there, Doc?
An employee at the sub-office of the Election and Boundaries Department (EBD) on San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Marilee Squires, has been asked to go on administrative leave and faces formal suspension from her duties as the investigation of an incident on the island this past Tuesday night, in which an aspirant for the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP), Dr. Severo Guerrero, Jr., was found inside the office, begins.
Amandala understands that around 7:00 p.m., Guerrero was seen inside the office, seated in front of a computer, with several pieces of paper identified as voter registration lists spread out in front of him, and appeared to be alternately writing and looking at the computer.
Guerrero was eventually escorted from the office a few minutes later, after some of his opponents showed up questioning what he was doing in the office, but in his wake he leaves a host of mostly unanswered questions as to exactly what he was doing in the office at that late hour, on whose behalf, and with whose consent.
According to the San Pedro Sun, whose office is next door to the Department's, Guerrero claims he was called in to assist the elections officer "with a computer problem." But according to today's edition of the UDP newspaper, the Guardian, Guerrero is a dental surgeon, commercial fisherman and Justice of the Peace. It said nothing about him being a computer technician.
Today, chair of the EBC, Alberto August, confirmed to Amandala that upon receiving complaints of the incident on Wednesday, he contacted Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Josephine Tamai, who had not been told of what transpired, and asked her to begin an investigation and at its conclusion, issue a report to him.
August pointed out that legally, he as Chairman can do no more than that, as the Commission oversees the conduct of elections and election business, but the day-to-day affairs are tasked to the Department under the CEO.
The EBD office phone was busy when we called twice late this afternoon, but we have been provided with a report via email from Tamai to the members of the EBC, in which she states that the "issue in San Pedro is not being taken lightly by the department."
She goes on to state that after reviewing a report by Squires and speaking with her in Belize City this morning, where the officer reportedly admitted that "she was wrong for having the person [Guerrero] in the office," she saw the "urgent need to investigate further," and is now awaiting further information from two EBD officers sent out to the island on Wednesday.
The CEO said that she has submitted to the Ministry of the Public Service, for reference to the Public Service Commission, an immediate request for Squires' suspension during the investigation, and informed her of that.
The CEO also promises that the officer will not be sent to another EBD office, as "this may further create reasons for concern."
Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) has called for Guerrero to step down and for a formal investigation for "possible tampering with the San Pedro voters' list," and registered its concern that "the integrity of the voters' list may have been compromised and confidential information retrieved. Local officials for the Opposition People's United Party (PUP) and independent Mayoral candidate, Melanie Paz, have also spoken out against the candidate's actions.
Other late information to us is that the PUP have filed a claim for judicial review in the Supreme Court against CEO Tamai's refusal of a request by Corozal Southeast area representative and PUP Deputy Leader Florencio Marin, Jr., to peruse the binders for his division in light of the ongoing registration/citizenship rush taking place across the country. The Department claims that it cannot offer the proper supervision such a request entails due to work related to voter registration, which ends tomorrow, Friday.
Amandala
AmbergrisCaye.com 
