Four Hundred Thousand Euros for Reform, But Still No Ombudsman

Belize has gone six months without an Ombudsman, and former officeholder Major Gilbert Swaso says that gap is more than an administrative delay, it is a threat to public accountability. Government says the hold-up is tied to plans to transform the Ombudsman’s Office into a National Human Rights Institution, a reform backed by four hundred thousand euros in funding. But Swaso argues that Belizeans, especially the most vulnerable, still need someone in place now to protect their rights and hold public offices accountable. With the post still vacant, he warns that the reform itself could lose credibility. We asked Swaso whether that transition justifies the long delay in naming his successor.

 

Major Gilbert Swazo (Ret’d), Former Ombudsman

“The question is, if it is then that the Office of the Ombudsman will be the beneficiary on behalf of the government of Belize who made that declaration, then in my humble view, what is the purpose of ensuing or continuing such a project without the key stakeholder for and on behalf of the country or who will be the custodian of such a project? Then how can one justify such a project to be underway without the very institution who will benefit specifically, but more importantly, the vulnerable people of Belize will benefit as a result of that institutional change that is occurring. So in my view, there is a lot of questions that needs to be answered as a result of what is happening with this project and the Office of the Ombudsman.”

 

Swaso says the vacancy leaves a serious gap: no one is officially in place to follow up on Ombudsman reports or ensure public offices act on the recommendations.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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