PUP Think Tanking and the Senate…..the Commonality

Carolyn Trench-Sandiford – Party Chairman

As I sat in the Senate on Tuesday February 23, 2010, representing the People’s United Party, I could not help but marvel at the level of discussion and the contributions made by most of the Senators, and the gender representation, particularly on the side of our party. Once again, we were represented by three women.

This brought to the forefront of my mind in a most prolific way, of being a member of the Political Reform Commission in 1999-2000. At that time, I was representing the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, of which I was the president. The role of the Senate in an independent Belize was a topic of vigorous and spirited discourse. Three main streams of arguments were forwarded. The conservatives and “status quoers”, argued vehemently for things to remain the same. They were contented.

Then there were the radicals [of course I was in this group], who wanted to liberate the Senate, and have members be elected directly by the people, so they can speak on behalf of the people, and not be confined to any political or special interest. They hammered in the point that that was what democracy was all about. They were about rocking the boat.

Of course, there is always the in “betweeners”, who did not necessarily want to let go of the umbilical cord tied to the past, even though they accepted it was not working.  As usual, this is normally the group with the biggest percentage representation, and in the Political Reform Commission, this was no different. Their compromise was proportional election of the Senate,  such that the Senate would compose of 13 seats, of which all were to be appointed by the Governor General in such a way that 1 would be at the Governor General’s discretion, and the other 12, based on the proportion of the popular vote. [I still cannot see how appointments can be equated to election].

The mathematically minded members, for only they could devise this, presented a scenario for 13 seats representing 100 points. Of this 100 points, 4 points were to be reserved for the 1 Senator the Governor General was to appoint, and the remaining 96 points were to be divided by the other 12 Senatorial seats, which would give each seat a value of 8 points, and each point will represent 1.04% of the total 100 % votes casted. [100% divided by 96 = 1.04%]. This was recommendation #43 of 103.

The commission also recommended giving the Senate more clout, recommendation #44, such that it was not a rubberstamp, and could have a greater say, tempered yes, in the affairs of the nation, including their consent on amendments to the constitution, issues of national security and territorial integrity, and supreme court appointments. A 2/3 majority was required for the first three.

The PUP administration embraced the need for a greater role of the Senate to enhance our democracy, but instead of accepting in full the recommendations of the commission, also compromised, and while not supporting the proportional election of the senate, agreed and passed constitutional amendments to expand the Senate to 13, 12 members and 1 President, with all being appointed by the Governor General as follows: 6 on the advice of the government, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and the remaining 3 on the advice of the churches, the business community and the unions respectively. They also supported the requirement of the senate’s approval for constitutional amendments and appointments of justices to the Supreme Court, amongst others.

As I listened to and participated in the contributions of the social partners and our side of the bench in the debate, and as I voted on the 7^th Belize Constitution Amendment Bill, the appointment of two Supreme Court Justices, and the Education and Training Bill, amongst other bills, I found yet another reason to believe in the People’s United Party. For it is through their conviction of political, social and economic transformation and reform to create the New Belize, that the Senate is no longer merely a rubber stamp, but rather elevated in its position to be a sounding board and a space for discussion and debate on issues that have far reaching implications to our nation. The 7^th Amendment Belize Constitution Bill and the Education and Training Bill passed with a 2/3 majority vote, 8 [6 from the government side with the representatives for business and church] supporting and 4 [3 from the opposition and 1 from the unions] not supporting, and all supported the appointments of the two justices of the Supreme Court.

PUP Think Tanking represents the space for the discourse to continue on creating the New Belize, which will bring to all Belizeans a better life and just share of the national wealth of this country. Its objective  is to be a forum for discussion, information sharing and solution searching on issues, concerns and challenges confronting our party and nation, such that consensus can be forged on the way forward.

It has four goals: Firstly, to re-orient the party to been visionary and one of ideas and solutions; Secondly, to be a sounding board on the current and emerging issues and concerns that are significantly important to our people and country; Thirdly, to be a source of information from which the party could draw from as it will provide guidance and will influence our party’s position in the process of developing policy and position papers and our manifesto; Fourthly,  to have a broad tent approach to solution searching, and Fifth,  to create a space and an opportunity for the engagement of any person concerned about the growth and development of Belize . I have no doubt that one day in the future the ideas that will take root at PUP Think Tanking will be on the Order Papers of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is how the Revolution shall continue……

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