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EXEMPTION No 3.8.
GEEN CLOSED
..... UNDER FOI
yes
5.
It is important at the moment that the price rUP Sovernment remains strongly in power, because Frice and the fur are best placed to help us to solve the dispute with Guatemala and to take Belize into incependence. It is not in our interests to do anything to discredit Pinisters perticularly in an emotive mattor of this kind which could certainly stir up public opinion. In any case it would not surprise me if Premier Price declined to direct his ..inisters on a future occasion to recommend mercy because he well knows the difficulty of maintaining secrecy here and the fact that it is not really possible to hide Lenind the governor in these cases notwithstanding the fact that the covernor takes his decision in his absolute discretion under the Letters intent.
6. I of course appreciate that this is a very difficult etter for ..inisters. Out the British Goverment still as overall responsibility for uclize and I would move through the answer was for the government to say in torliament that in view of public abhorrence of capital punishment in the united kin.com it was no Dayer going to :llow hangings to take place in those territori s for which ritein still has overall responsibility. It could not be arquet tht this was interference in tic internal effeirs of Belize because the prerocative of mercy is specifically reserved to the Governor under the Letters ratent.
7. How this decision was then implemented; either by giving me general instructions to exercise gy prerogative in all cases or by agending the Letters intent, would not nett r. The Lecision would be ulic and would therefore Duviate the ner to circu.vn't the
rusent procedur.s which h veso ny interent disadvantages. Public
/opinion