Godfrey Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Godfrey Smith (born 1968^{[citation needed]} in Belize City, Belize) is a Belizean politician and a member of the People's United Party (PUP). He became Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Emergency Management Organization in 2003. Previously he had served as Attorney General. In April 2006 he gave up the foreign and defense ministries and became minister of tourism, information and emergency management.

Smith defeated Bobby Usher, the nephew of George Cadle Price, to receive the PUP's nomination as its candidate for Pickstock constituency in the 2003 election; Price had previously represented Pickstock, a constituency that had always been held by the PUP. Smith won the seat in the 2003 election and ran for a second term in the February 2008 election, facing Wilfred Elrington of the United Democratic Party (UDP).^[1] This time Smith was defeated, and the PUP lost power in the election.^[2]

In August 2004, Smith was part of the G-7 group of ministers who demanded the dismissal of Ralph Fonseca from the Cabinet and resigned when Prime Minister Said Musa did not meet that demand. Later, Smith was re-elected as one of the PUP's deputy leaders in July 2007.^[3]

Smith has been publishing a column in party newspaper the Belize Times since October 2006, called "Flashpoint". It has attracted a lot of controversy as its opinions differ from those Smith takes as a member of Government.