Joint Unions Challenge Proxy Process Ahead of BTL AGM

A dispute over voting rights is brewing ahead of Belize Telemedia Limited’s twentieth annual general meeting. The Belize National Teachers’ Union, the Public Service Union and the Belize Communication Workers’ Union are calling on small shareholders to attend Thursday’s meeting in person and exercise their right to vote. The unions say thousands of ordinary Belizeans own shares in the company and, collectively, hold enough voting power to influence important decisions. Shareholders will consider the company’s directors’ report and financial statements for the year ending March thirty-first, 2026. They will also vote on a dividend, appoint auditors and elect the publicly elected director. But it is the handling of proxy votes that has drawn concern from the unions. They say Eric Eusey, who currently holds the publicly elected director’s seat and is again a nominee, is also identified in the company’s meeting notice as someone willing to act as a proxy for absent shareholders. The unions argue that allowing a candidate in a contested election to hold proxy votes that may help decide that same race creates an apparent conflict of interest. They are now calling for independent oversight and greater scrutiny of the proxy process. The unions are advising small shareholders to vote in person rather than leave their decisions in the hands of a proxy. They warn that when smaller investors stay away, a narrower group of shareholders gains greater control over decisions affecting the company. The deadline for submitting proxy forms and registering to attend virtually was ten o’clock this morning. The meeting takes place at ten on Thursday morning at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. The unions maintain that every share carries a voice and are urging small shareholders to show up, ask questions and ensure that their votes are counted.

 

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