History Of Belize

No laws impeded participation of women in politics, and 82 percent of both men and women were registered to vote. There were three women in the House of Representatives; two were elected Representatives and the other was appointed to serve as Speaker of the House. There were 5 women in the 12-member appointed Senate, and another woman served as president of the Senate. There was one woman in the Cabinet, and five women were chief executive officers of ministries. The Chief Elections Officer was also a woman. There were no laws impeding participation by indigenous persons or minority groups in politics. There were Mestizo, Creole, Maya, and Garifuna representatives in the National Assembly. Voter registration and participation were not tracked by ethnicity; however, there were no complaints or reports of electoral discrimination on the basis of ethnicity. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and N ... [Read More]

Investment Climate

As with most countries in the region, corruption remains a problem in Belize. Belize's first step to combat corruption in public life came with the enactment of the Prevention of Corruption in Public Life Act in 1994. This act makes provision for the prevention of political corruption and to provide for the public disclosure of the assets, income and liabilities of persons in public life, such as the Governor-General and members of the National Assembly, which includes the Prime Minister and Cabinet members. It also seeks to strengthen the code of conduct prescribed in the constitution. In addition, the government hired a parliamentary commissioner on June 25, 1999. The parliamentary commissioner, known as the Ombudsman, has the primary responsibility of investigating any administrative action and complaints of official corruption and wrongdoing. However, the Ombudsman has yet to conduct an investigation of official corruption or wrongdoing by an elected official. ... [Read More]

Political Environment

The National Assembly consists of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The 29 members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum 5-year term. Of the senate's twelve members, the Governor General appoints six in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, 3 with the advice of the leader of the opposition, one each with the advice of 1) the Belize Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association of Churches, 2) the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Business Bureau, and 3) the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee. ... [Read More]

Press Releases

Also part of the visit was a colorful cultural dance 'La Patiada Tapchuco' performed by Isabel Leal who explained that the Mayan princesses reserved this dance for their kings. In addition, there was also a typical Mayan lunch prepared by members of the Amigos de El Pilar community. In honor of Mrs. Freeman's birthday, the Queen of Fiesta El Pilar Ms. Loreni Manzanero presented her with a bouquet of forest garden flowers. ... [Read More]

Background Notes

Belize is a parliamentary democracy on the Westminster model and is a member of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is represented in the country by Gov. Gen. Sir Colville N. Young, Sr., a Belizean and Belize's second governor general. The primary executive organ of government is the cabinet, led by a prime minister (head of government). Cabinet ministers are members of the majority political party in parliament and usually hold elected seats in the National Assembly concurrently with their cabinet positions. The National Assembly consists of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The 29 members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum 5-year term. Of the Senate's eight members, five are elected by the prime mini ... [Read More]

Belize (08/04)

The United States is the largest provider of economic assistance to Belize, contributing about $2.89 million in various bilateral economic and military aid programs to Belize in FY 2002. Of this amount, nearly $2.3 million was provided by the U.S. Military Liaison Office. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) closed its Belize office in August 1996 after a 13-year program during which USAID provided $110 million worth of development assistance to Belize. Belize still benefits from USAID regional programs. In addition, during the past 42 years, almost 2,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Belize. As of May 2004, the Peace Corps had 52 volunteers working in Belize. Until the end of 2002, Voice of America operated a medium-wave radio relay station in Punta Gorda that broadcast to the neighboring countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The U.S. military has a diverse and growing assistance program in Belize that included the construction of seven schools an ... [Read More]