Belize should add CCJ to referendum

THE EDITOR: Reference is made to a regional news item captioned “Belize pilots new legislation to hold referendum” (Newsday, April 15).

The government refused to hold a referendum on whether Belize should replace the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final court of appeal. The government acted without consulting the people. But now it wants the people’s support via a referendum to settle the border dispute with Guatemala.

The CCJ celebrated 14 years of its existence on April 16. The court is not popular in Belize or around the region. People feel most of its judgments would have been reversed if appeals were allowed to the Privy Council in London.

It is not too late for the Belize to hold a referendum on whether joining the CCJ is accepted by the population. The government should add this issue to the referendum ballot.

DR VISHNU BISRAM via e-mail