Belize, LAND OF THE FREE

NICH President, Diane Haylock, returned to work today and as we reported last week, she found herself in the middle of a war waged with clear battle lines. Haylock’s boss, Minister Marcel Cardona and the NICH Board members want her removed as president and Prime Minister Dean Barrow is standing up in her defense. News Five tried reaching Haylock for comment on how the controversial agreement between herself and developer David Gegg, managed to make it past Cardona and the Board but she was in meetings all day, presumably explaining the contract. And while the P.M. has instructed the NICH Board to revert its decision to fire Haylock, tomorrow, it will be Cardona’s turn to flex muscles when Cabinet meets. News Five is privy to news that Cardona’s intention will be to ask Cabinet Ministers to support the move to fire Haylock over the agreement. Cardona is asking for support from his colleagues on “whether Diane Haylock’s over-handed and unilateral actions without involving me or the Board especially on a major contract with long-term policy implications over the use of our archaeological sites, constitutes an abuse of her power and justifies her immediate termination”. The matter reportedly played out in last week’s Cabinet meeting and we understand that fellow ministers sided with Cardona’s view. The question still remains on how things will fare off between the minister and the president, given the bad blood that exists.