There is a clear conflict of interest being displayed by Senator Eamon Courtenay where he as a senator passed a law to protect the assets of Belize and is now actually challenging the very law he passed. Now, a group of Belizeans calling themselves BALAC have organized themselves and are publicly and loudly calling for Courtenay to resign.
On Monday the People’s United Party held a press conference during which their leader, Johnny Briceno boldly stood in support of Courtenay. Speaking with forked tongue, he stated that the PUP stood for Belize yet they also stood alongside a man who is clearly bent on paving the way to have the extra protection which was last month put on Belize’s foreign reserves removed.
As a result of this bullheaded and antinationalistic move equally by the PUP and Eamon Courtenay, a group of Belizeans formed themselves into an ad-hoc group calling themselves BALAC, Belizeans Against Lord Ashcroft and Courtenay with the specific purpose of pursuing a nationalistic agenda in particular against both Ashcroft and Courtney.
It was with this intended purpose that at 10am a group of about 120 Belize City residents gathered at the intersection of A street and Baymen avenue from where they walked over to the law offices of Eamon Courtenay. Chanting “Eamon Courtenay, Demon Courtenay’ and holding placards bolding declaring: ‘Charge Courtney for Treason’ ‘Courtney nuh deh wit Belize’ and ‘Ashcrot the Vulture’ among others, the demonstrators brazed the mid morning sun in front of the law firm keeping on point. One of the most vocal was the editor of this publication, Alfonso Noble, who as dispassionately as he chanted he spoke to the media. His message was one where he pointed out that there was a clear conflict of interest between Courtenay’s role as a senator and his role as Ashcroft’s attorney.
Noble said that, “He’s a political representative of the People’s United Party and as such he has an obligation, a duty, a responsibility to the people of Belize to ensure that our assets are protected abroad. But here is this man who is supposed to protect our assets and instead of protecting our assets, he is there challenging the protection that has been given him to our assets. What kind of a person is that? What kind of vulture that? What kind of individual is that?.” He went on to state that “if this man is successful at the Supreme Court level, he will be able to unlock the security features that have been put on our reserves. They will be able to challenge our reserves, take hold of our reserves and then, bread and butter is no longer. We won’t be able to import wheat, we won’t be able to import butter, is that something that we should be taking lightly? This is public enemy number one, you know. There’s no other attorney out there who has taken on the championing of Ashcroft interest as Courtenay has.”
Noble went further explaining that if successful Courtenay’s actions would pose a clear and present danger to the livelihood of Belizeans. “This is a bunch of people who is discontent. Who are not happy with what is happening. You know why? When they can’t bring Ramen in Belize, people will tek lick.”
Organizers of the group say they will continue to pressure the PUP into having them remove Courtenay as one of their senators, specifically because of his relationship with Ashcroft and his challenging the legislation that protects Belize’s assets here.
Another frontline speaker at Monday’s demonstration was Allan Kelly who explained that the group does not care if Courtenay sits on the Senate Select Committee investigating irregularities at the Immigration Department. Kelly pointed out clearly that Courtenay, on the Thursday before the demonstration, had left the Senate hearing to pay personal attention to matters relating to Michael Ashcroft and UHS in the U.S.
