Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BELMOPAN96
2007-02-12 19:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Belmopan
Cable title:  

BELIZE: IIP SPEAKER KELLNER JUMPSTARTS EMBASSY'S GOOD

Tags:  OIIP EAID PGOV KPAO BH 
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RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHBE #0096/01 0431910
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121910Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0240
INFO RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0010
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELMOPAN 000096 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IIP/G/WHA (BARONE),IIP/G/CP (ADAMS),WHA/CEN (MACK)

GUATEMALA FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP EAID PGOV KPAO BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE: IIP SPEAKER KELLNER JUMPSTARTS EMBASSY'S GOOD
GOVERNANCE PROGRAM

REF: 06 Belmopan 71

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELMOPAN 000096

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IIP/G/WHA (BARONE),IIP/G/CP (ADAMS),WHA/CEN (MACK)

GUATEMALA FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP EAID PGOV KPAO BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE: IIP SPEAKER KELLNER JUMPSTARTS EMBASSY'S GOOD
GOVERNANCE PROGRAM

REF: 06 Belmopan 71


1. See action request in para 7.

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Summary
--------------


2. During his two-day (January 24-25) visit to Belize, IIP Speaker
Ken Kellner met with university students, civic leaders, and
government officials to share his experiences as Senior Counsel for
the House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct. Kellner's insights were well-received - particularly by
the students, watchdog organizations and business leaders. Poloff
attempted to schedule meetings for Kellner with Government of Belize
(GoB) elected officials, such as Speaker of the House Elizabeth
Zabaneh. Unfortunately, most were unavailable. In spite of this,
Post believes that its goal for this speaker program (to encourage
discussion and empower individuals to take action to promote ethical
behavior in government officials) was a successful first step in
developing a good governance program in Belize. End summary.

-------------- ---
The Ethics Committee: Explaining the U.S. Model
-------------- ---


3. Whether meeting with students, civil society, or the business
community, Kellner delivered the same theme: members of the U.S.
Congress must at all times behave in a manner that reflects
creditably upon the House. Time and again Kellner stressed that
under the House Code of Conduct, congressmen must do more than
simply not misbehave; they have an obligation to ensure that their
public and private actions are viewed positively by their fellow
congressmen and the voting public.


4. Kellner also noted that the House Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct - more commonly known as the Ethics Committee - is
the only non-partisan committee in the House of Representatives and
that a vote by the majority of Committee members is required before
any action can be taken. This is an important distinction since the
political system in Belize, like the U.S., consists basically of two
major political parties. In such an environment it is easy for
ethics investigations to be politicized. In the U.S., a committee

comprised of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats diminishes
the perception of partisanship.


5. Finally, Kellner highlighted the dual role of the Ethics
Committee. It serves not only as an investigatory and disciplinary
body, but also as a source for education, training, and advice.
Kellner added that Committee members and staffers use a variety of
channels to share information with members of Congress. The
Committee provides information on its website, publishes rules and
guidelines, issues advisory memoranda, and prominently displays its
telephone number on every publication. Further, the Committee's
proceedings remain confidential until all investigations are
complete, thereby allowing the Committee to conduct its work without
undue influence and protecting those under investigation from
incorrect assumptions based on limited information.

--------------
Civil Society Needs Assistance
--------------


6. In meetings with the chairman of the Integrity Commission and
the members of the Association of Concerned Belizeans (ACB),two
issues were abundantly clear. First, there is no shortage of
Belizean citizens willing to volunteer their time and energy to
improve their country and their government. The members of the
Integrity Commission - a government entity tasked with reviewing the
asset disclosures and net worth statements of and investigating
complaints against public officials - are private citizens who
volunteered to serve. The members of ACB are also private citizens
who formed their organization in response to a number of financial
scandals and questionable practices of public officials. Second,
each group stressed the need for USG support in the form of
technical assistance and financial aid. As noted above, the members
of these watchdog groups are private citizens with full-time jobs;
they receive no monetary compensation for their contributions to
these organizations. The Integrity Commission does not even have an
office; Kellner met Chairman Christopher Coye in his office at
Belize Bank - his full-time job. Neither organization has a staff
to assist with research, respond to complaints, manage an office, or
maintain a website.


7. Action Request: Post realizes that in many countries USAID
missions have democracy and governance programs that offer the type

BELMOPAN 00000096 002 OF 002


of financial and technical assistance requested by the Integrity
Commission and the Association of Concerned Belizeans. Since there
is no USAID office in Belize, and current programming for Belize
(which is managed from the USAID office in Guatemala) is focused
exclusively on HIV/AIDS prevention, Post requests assistance in
finding resources for the Integrity Commission and ACB. Are there
programs/offices within the Department that can help or grant
programs to which these watchdog groups can apply?

--------------
Students Pledge to Keep Government "Under the Microscope"
--------------


8. The highlight of the two-day program was Kellner's meeting with
University of Belize student government leaders and a forum with
interested students. The auditorium, which seats 220, was standing
room only. Also present were the mayor, members of city councils,
members of the diplomatic corps and private citizens. Kellner again
stressed the value that codes of conduct add to governing
effectively. The students had obviously done their homework and
asked intelligent and detailed questions about the Ethics
Committee's investigative process. Several students commented that
they wished GoB representatives (who had been invited to the forum)
had attended the event.


9. At the reception that followed the forum, more students
approached Kellner seeking advice as to how to encourage their
elected officials to adopt similar rules. Since Kellner was not
familiar with the details of the Belize political system, he only
offered general advice and emphasized the important role that civic
groups play in government oversight. At the end of the day's
events, Kellner and emboffs concluded that Belizean students care
deeply about the future of their country and want to affect positive
change in the country's political system.

--------------
Media Coverage: A Vital Part of the Program
--------------


10. When this program was initially proposed to Kellner and to the
Department, Post viewed it as an opportunity to get Belizeans
talking about ethics and good governance. Since Kellner traveled
only to Belize City and Belmopan, Post relied on the media to spread
the message further. On January 24, Kellner was interviewed for
over an hour by the hosts of the Love FM morning call-in show. Love
FM is the only radio station in Belize that broadcasts nationally.
The following day, he was interviewed by a journalist from the
Independent Reformer, a new weekly newspaper that attracts
traditional and online readers. Finally, Kellner appeared on "On
Target," an hour-long television program that broadcasts in
Belmopan. His appearance as guest speaker at the Belize City Rotary
Club was also well publicized and attended by some 60 people. His
taped presentation at the UB Forum has been replayed daily for two
weeks on Channel 10 in Belmopan. Post believes these media
appearances, along with Kellner's interaction with civic groups,
business leaders, and students will generate more discussion among
Belizeans on this important issue.

--------------
Conclusions and Next Steps
--------------


11. In Post's view, this two-day IIP Speaker program was successful
on many levels. As noted above, Kellner's activities started a
conversation that we hope will continue and ultimately develop into
action and positive change. In addition, by working with the
University of Belize - which acted as a co-sponsor for the program -
Post strengthened a valuable relationship in Belmopan. University
officials were pleased to work with Post and went to great lengths
to ensure the success of the program. We hope that this will be the
beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship. Finally,
this program raises the profile of Post's democracy and governance
program. Going forward, Post hopes to use public diplomacy tools
such as Democracy Dialogues, web chats, and the Strategic Speakers
Initiative for future programming.


12. Post would like to thank the International Information Programs
office for their assistance in ensuring the success of this program
and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for allowing Ken
Kellner to participate.

DIETER