By Zoila Palma: Senators from the United Democratic Party (UDP), along with civil society senators, have raised serious concerns over the proposed National Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities Bill, 2025, warning that key provisions could weaken parliamentary oversight and undermine democratic accountability.
The UDP said in a statement today that it was particularly alarmed by Section 16(2) of the Bill, which requires public officers to obtain the consent of the Governor General before giving evidence or producing documents related to what are termed “state affairs.”
The party warned that this provision could allow the Executive to control participation in parliamentary inquiries and restrict the flow of information to Parliament.
According to the statement, the requirement “frustrates the work of parliamentary committees, delays investigations, and undermines the Senate’s constitutional role as an accountability chamber.”
The UDP further noted that the Bill does not define what constitutes “state affairs,” raising concerns about excessive secrecy. “The term can be read wide to include everything or narrowly to restrict disclosure,” the statement said, adding that “parliamentary privilege exists to protect democracy, not to shield the Executive from examination.”
The UDP called for amendments to ensure genuine national security concerns are protected without eroding Parliament’s authority to compel evidence.
Beyond Section 16(2), the UDP said other provisions of the Bill raise constitutional and due process concerns, including issues related to separation of powers, access to courts, and procedural fairness. The statement emphasized that “the constitution of Belize must be jealously guarded, and no Bill can attempt to legislate in a way that conflicts with principles enshrined in the constitution.”
While the Bill was not passed due to a lack of majority support and other outstanding issues, it has now been referred to committee for further work.
The UDP has called on the government to release the legislative drafters to address the concerns raised by UDP and Social Partner Senators.
The UDP also expressed appreciation for the bipartisan review process, stating that it “thanks the Social Partner Senators for the collaborative effort to subject this Bill to objective non-partisan scrutiny.”
The post UDP Senators raise concerns over National Assembly powers bill appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Senators from the United Democratic Party (UDP), along with civil society senators, have raised serious concerns over the proposed National Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities Bill, 2025, warning that key provisions could weaken parliamentary oversight and undermine democratic accountability. The UDP said in a statement today that it was particularly alarmed by
The post UDP Senators raise concerns over National Assembly powers bill appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.