By Aaron Humes: As the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) intensifies its call for transparency regarding the controversial acquisition of Speednet Communications Limited by Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), scrutiny has been placed on Tracy Taegar-Panton, the Leader of the Opposition, and UDP chair Sheena Pitts’ recent meeting with Lord Michael Ashcroft, allegedly aboard his yacht, the Atlantic Goose, just a day before a scheduled press conference held on Tuesday.
When pressed about the meeting, Panton confirmed it but explained that it was to make their position clear to the man whose Waterloo Group Charitable Trust is pushing for the merger: “We cannot continue to support any kind of public acquisition that will affect materially the public interest. That is our stand. We cannot support a monopoly. And you want me to say there would be absolutely no monopoly, well, there should be absolutely no monopoly in electricity, there should be absolutely no monopoly in water if that is the stance we’re going to take. In democratic countries with a population size that we have, there’s room for monopolies because we have a small market to share. That is why there is only one electricity provider, and that is why there is only one provider for water services. That’s why they have been only one provider for telecommunications for so long, until the private monopoly took full advantage of the people of this country, until we were taken to court over and over and over and over again. And the government, as you know, it was the UDP administration [that] sought to nationalize BTL in the public interest.”
The WGCT holds 77.5 percent of the company, with two members of Prime Minister John Briceño’s family holding the remainder.
The UDP has called for greater accountability and transparency from both BTL and the government, urging them to involve the public in discussions that have the potential to significantly alter Belize’s telecommunications framework. Panton’s remarks suggest that if these demands are not met, tension could escalate, leading to potential public demonstrations and further political ramifications.
In a heated exchange with Channel 7 News’ Jules Vasquez, Panton defended her meeting with Ashcroft by stressing the necessity for open dialogue with investors. “I seek to be the next leader of this country. And the next leader of this country must be open to meet with all investors. Where I choose to meet with them and not meet with them is immaterial in my opinion. I have a duty and a responsibility to this party. I have a duty and responsibility and one that I don’t take lightly as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. What I will not be accused of is being able to engage and to listen and to speak clearly for myself and say, I will not allow anyone to put words in my mouth, and certainly not Channel 7,” she asserted, rebuffing any insinuation that the meeting was inappropriate or damaging to her political stance.
The post UDP leadership meets with Lord Michael Ashcroft appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Aaron Humes: As the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) intensifies its call for transparency regarding the controversial acquisition of Speednet Communications Limited by Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), scrutiny has been placed on Tracy Taegar-Panton, the Leader of the Opposition, and UDP chair Sheena Pitts’ recent meeting with Lord Michael Ashcroft, allegedly aboard his yacht,
The post UDP leadership meets with Lord Michael Ashcroft appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
