It’s a new chapter for Belize’s National Assembly as parliamentarians, both fresh faces and seasoned lawmakers, gather for a three-day Post-Election Seminar. Hosted by the National Assembly and led by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and ParlAmericas, the event is all about sharpening the tools of democracy. From mastering parliamentary procedures to tackling modern challenges like social media’s influence, it’s a crash course in better governance. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Parliamentarians stepped out of the National Assembly and into a more relaxed setting at Kiki Witz for a three-day training seminar. The goal? To sharpen their skills and better serve the people of Belize. Led by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the sessions offer a chance to share experiences, tackle challenges, and learn how to shape stronger policies for the country.
Jack Hardcastle, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
“The post-election seminar is a program that we at the CPA offer to all our members and it is typically delivered in the short period after a general election. So, we were brought here on invitation by the National Assembly and will be delivering sessions to both members of the House of Representatives and Senators. It is open to both newly elected members as well as those more experienced returning members as well.”
President of the Senate, Carolyn Trench-Sandiford is among the participants. She knows all too well about the important work of parliament, and especially parliamentary behavior.
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, President, Senate
“There are parliaments which if you would review the tapes, have become very much out of order. I have seen parliaments where people are juping over the chairs and attacking. Of recent in the Caribbean one of the parliamentarians threw an item at a presiding officer. They had to take them out. We have not reached there. There is the apparent political partisanship with parliament. But within the Senate, I want to say that unlike the lower house, in the upper house we do have the contribution of what we call our social partners. They bring diverse, specific interest conversations to the dialogue, which makes Belize very unique.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Belize’s first-ever female Leader of the Opposition, made history just by showing up, and she was front and center on day one of the seminar. Her new role marks a major milestone for women in Belizean politics. While most people only see parliamentarians in action during House and Senate meetings, Panton says the real work happens behind the scenes, when the cameras are off and the tough conversations begin.
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition
“I believe our work in the House committees, the standing committees of both the upper and lower house, that is where we trash things out. That is where the stakeholders group engage with their parliament. Recently I was in a meeting examining the families bill. It took ten hours, but it was important. That ten hours was time well spent. But we were able to hear from the persons that piece of legislation meant to be a beneficiary for. We heard from them what makes sense and what does not serve them.”
Fort George Area Representative and Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher is also a member of parliament. But, despite his experience, he says that there remains room for growth.
Henry Charles-Usher, Parliamentarian
“So it is important for new and returning parliamentarians to benefit from some of these sessions. It is a three day course going through different aspects when it comes to representation, standing orders and being a representative of the people. I am here both as the minister of public service and as the parliamentary whip for the government side. I thought it was important for me to be here and stay for a few of the sessions.”
The seminar will be concluded on Wednesday. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.