Freedom in the World 1998 - Belize

1998 Scores

Status: Free
Freedom Rating: 1.0
Civil Liberties: 1
Political Rights: 1

Overview

Belgians can change their government democratically. Non-voters are subject to fines. Political parties generally organize along ethnic lines, with different factions of the leading parties subscribing to a common platform for general elections. Each ethnic group has autonomy in its region, but constitutional disputes arise when members of one group elected to office in a different territory refuse to take competency tests in the dominant language of that region.

The country's judiciary is independent, but has continued to experience criticism due to the country's ongoing political and criminal scandals.

While freedom of speech and the press is guaranteed, Belgian law prohibits some forms of pornography as well as incitements to violence. Libel laws have some minor restraining effects on the press, and restrictions on the right of civil servants to criticize the government may constitute a slight reduction of the right of civil speech. Autonomous public boards govern the state television and radio networks and ensure that public broadcasting is linguistically pluralistic. The state has permitted and licensed independent radio stations since 1985.

Belgians enjoy freedom of religion and association. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim institutions are state-subsidized in this overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, and other faiths are not restricted. Immigrants and linguistic minorities argue that linguistic zoning limits opportunity.

Belgium has enacted measures to promote sexual equality, including the prohibition of sexual harassment. Legislation mandates that, in the next general parliamentary election, 33 percent of the candidates be women. Approximately 60 percent of the work force are members of labor unions, which have the right to strike – one that they frequently exercise – even in "essential" services.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens can change their government democratically in peaceful, fair, and open elections. Since independence, each election in racially diverse Belize has resulted in the incumbent party being ousted. In the 1998 elections, 78 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots. The incumbent UDP was heavily outspent in the campaign. There are no restrictions on the right to organize political parties. Civil society is well established, with a large number of nongovernmental organizations working in social, economic, and environmental issues.

In general, the judiciary is independent and nondiscriminatory, and the rule of law is respected. Judges and the director of public prosecutions, however, must negotiate the renewal of their employment contracts, thereby rendering them vulnerable to political influence. Prison conditions do not meet minimum standards.

Belizeans have suffered from an increase in violent crime, much of it related to drug trafficking and gang conflict. In 1996, the U.S. government added Belize to its list of major drug transit countries. In 1997, Belizean officials, who fear a possible influx of European and other criminal elements, are believed to have rebuffed three efforts by Russian firms to open banks in the country.

The Belize Human Rights Commission is independent and effective. Human rights concerns include the plight of migrant workers and refugees from neighboring Central American countries and charges of labor abuses by Belizean employers. Most of the estimated 40,000 Spanish-speakers who have immigrated since the 1980s do not have legal status. Some have registered under an amnesty program implemented in cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

There are six privately owned newspapers, three of which are subsidized by major political parties. The press is free to publish a variety of political viewpoints, including those critical of the government, and there are Spanish-language media. Belize has a literacy rate of more than 90 percent. Radio and television are saturated with political advertising during elections. Fourteen private television stations operate, including four cable systems. There is an independent board to oversee operations of the government-owned outlets.

Freedom of religion is respected, and the government actively discourages racial and ethnic discrimination. The Esquivel government, however, did not recognize aboriginal land rights and took actions that threatened the survival of the Maya Indian communities. More than half of the 21,000 Belize Maya live in the Toledo district, where they form nearly two-thirds of the population. Despite their claim to be the original inhabitants of Belize, they have no secure title to their ancestral lands, which have been targeted by Malaysian and other foreign investors. For thousands of years, this land has provided Maya Indians food, medicinal plants, building materials, and hunting grounds. In 1996, the Maya Indians organized demonstrations and took legal steps to block government-negotiated logging contracts. They also opposed the paving of a major road to afford business access to the area. Land claims continue to be contested in the courts.

Workers have the right to strike. Labor unions are independent, but only 11 percent of workers, who earn two to three times more than their counterparts in neighboring countries, are unionized. Disputes are adjudicated by official boards of inquiry, and businesses are penalized for failing to abide by the labor code.