BELIZE - Government criticised over boycott of media house

BELIZE CITY, Belize (CMC):

The main opposition People's United Party (PUP) in Belize, as well as a smaller group, the Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) political party, have come out strongly against a government decision to boycott Belize's largest television station, Great Belize Television, which broadcast on Channel 5.

In an unprecedented move, government announced on Tuesday following a Cabinet meeting that "effective immediately, the Government of Belize is suspending normal relations with Channel 5 and Great Belize Productions".

The official government announcement issued by the Office of the Prime Minster said the reason for severing ties with Channel 5 was because government considers Channel 5 to be hostile to the Dean Barrow administration.

The government is accusing Channel 5 of "systematically, over the last two and a half years, undermining not only the government; but the interests of the entire nation".

The government said that Channel 5 has sacrificed the principles of objectivity, fair play and balance in its news reporting and other programmes.

Given that stinging indictment, the government said it sees no reason to continue relations with Channel 5, adding that under the current ownership and management, there is no value or justification to maintain relations with the station which has been in operation for the last 19 years.

Fierce war

Channel 5 is currently owned by British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft with whom the Barrow administration has been locked in a fierce war since the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) took office in February 2008.

The station's day-to-day operation is managed by Chief Executive Officer Amalia Mai-Rancharan, who is a former ambassador to Cuba.

In a strong statement issued on Wednesday, the main opposition PUP condemned Tuesday's decision by the government to "suspend normal relations" with the television station. The PUP statement said that "this action can only be seen as a vicious attempt to stifle freedom of the press".

PUP leader John Brice-o called for Belizeans to take the move by government as "a poorly masked attempt to suppress any criticism of Government's action and in so doing monopolise and dictate fact based public opinion".

The PUP maintains that if there was any legitimacy to the accusations by the UDP administration against Channel 5 and Great Belize Productions - the company which owns the television station - the appropriate action should have been to lodge these complaints with the Belize Broadcasting Authority.

This was not done and the PUP in its official release said "what the Government has done is to displace the functions of the Belize Broadcasting Authority and unilaterally, without processes of the law, installed themselves as judge and jury in this matter".

The suspension of relations with Channel 5 means that no government employee or minister of government will give any interviews to the station or appear on any programme produced by Great Belize Productions.

The government also claims that Channel 5 has violated the terms of its license by not airing the government produced current affairs programme 'Belmopan Weekly'.

Channel 5 has disputed this claim, pointing out that up until late November; the station has been airing the programme.

Tuesday's statement announcing the boycott also said that Channel 5 has sacrificed the principles of objectivity, fair play and balance in its news reporting and other programmes.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Great Belize Productions said that: "Channel Five will continue to cover the news in a fair and objective manner. It is our obligation to the citizens of Belize to provide viewers with the information you need about the activities of the government. It is not our job to cover the government in the way it chooses or in a manner that does not reflect well on the truth."