UNCLASSIFIED
6945-
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SUCH MATTERS AS CONSIDERING APPEALS AGAINST ANY ACT OF THE PUBLIC
SERVICES COMMISSION.
4. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CLAUSES AND THOSE RELATING TO THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, THE JUDICIARY, THE BELIZE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND
THE PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSION WILL BE ENTRENCHED SO THAT THEIR
AMENDMENT IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THREE
QUARTERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NO AMENDMENTS TO THE
CONSTITUTION WILL BE POSSIBLE UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST GENERAL
ELECTION FOLLOWING INDEPENDENCE. ALTHOUGH THE OPPOSITION DID NOT
ATTEND THE CONFERENCE THEY HAD MADE DETAILED SUBMISSIONS TO THE
JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE BELIZE ASSEMBLY WHICH CANVASSED
BELIZEAN PUBLIC OPINION ON THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. MOREOVER
REPRESENTATIONS SUBMITTED BY OTHER BELIZEAN ORGANISATIONS MADE
MANY OF THE POINTS WHICH THE OPPOSITION WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE MADE.
THESE WERE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL AT THE CONFERENCE AND RESULTED IN
SOME AMENDMENTS BEING MADE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS.
DATE OF INDEPENDENCE
5. NO DATE WAS SET AT THE CONFERENCE.
HOWEVER THE UN RESOLUTION
SET A TARGET OF INDEPENDENCE BY THE END OF 1981.
RECENT DISTURBANCES IN BELIZE
GOVERNO
6. A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED ON 2 APRIL BY THE GOVERNOR
ACTING ON THE ADVICE OF THE BELIZE SECURITY COMMITTEE AND AFTER
CONSULTATION WITH THE PREMIER. THIS CONTINUES IN FORCE AND HAS
BEEN EFFECTIVE IN CALMING THE SITUATION. THERE HAD BEEN CONTINUED
DISTURBANCES STARTED BY ELEMENTS OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY IN
PROTEST AGAINST THE RECENTLY SIGNED HEADS OF AGREEMENT WITH
GUATEMALA, WHICH THEY ARGUED CONCEDED TOO MUCH TO GUATEMALA, AND
TO THE BELIZE GOVERNMENT'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS. WE DO NOT
ACCEPT THAT THE HEADS OF AGREEMENT DAMAGE THE ESSENTIAL INTERESTS
OF BELIZE. THEY PROVIDE FOR RECOGNITION BY GUATEMALA OF BELIZEAN
INDEPENDENCE WITHIN ITS EXISTING FRONTIERS. THE PURPOSE OF THE
CONFERENCE WAS TO CONSIDER BOTH THE OFFICIAL CONSTITUTIONAL
PROPOSALS AND SUGGESTIONS BY OTHER BODIES.
NEGOTIATIONS WITH GUATEMALA
7.
THESE WILL RESUME ON 20 MAY TO DRAW UP THE NECESSARY LEGAL
INSTRUMENTS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE HEADS OF AGREEMENT.
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UNCLASSIFIED
/SECURITY AFTER