A Clear Contrast

With three Sundays of village council elections now behind us Belizeans are starting to recognize a pattern in the way the political parties are dealing with these elections and a clear contrast is emerging.  UDP area representatives are using these elections to show off to their Prime Minister, while the PUP grass roots movement is beginning to take hold, proving that the Party is finally being returned to its base.

The Governing UDP has totally abandoned the idea that Village Council Elections should be about building stronger rural communities and instead have been pushing everything into these elections. Whether it is utilizing government vehicles to move voters to the polls or using government resources from the ministry of works to do last minute projects, UDP area representatives have been actively involved in all aspects of the UDP campaign.  In some cases, UDP Area Representatives have even been claiming victories for village elections which were clearly won by independent slates.  Such is the case that in some villages, candidates who ran as independents and won were quickly approached and asked to pledge allegiance to the UDP or suffer the consequence of 3 years with no support.

For the PUP the situation has been different.  After successive losses at the polls in 2006, 2008 and in 2009, the Party Leader has been working hard at rebuilding the party from its base; that means returning the Party back to the days when the people in their local communities were given the opportunity to make decisions, to choose local leaders and to claim ownership of their Party.  Any success for the PUP to this point is a direct result of the Party’s leadership and the notion that as a Party everyone is welcomed and must participate in the process at all levels.  It also shows that supporters of the PUP are once again ready to stand and show their support for John Briceño and the blue machine.  “Azul”, as they say in the north, is rising!  This is the start of a movement which can be seen and felt in the faces of the many volunteers working in these elections.    A new enthusiasm for the Party and its leadership is taking hold and the people’s determination is formidable.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the South, where in Stann Creek West most villages have gone blue and those that haven’t are also rejecting the red and instead are electing independent candidates.  Many who offer themselves as independents are dissatisfied with their government and with their representatives.  It comes as no surprise that the vast majority of these independent slates that have not been traditional ones come from areas where the representative is a UDP.

These independent slates, which seem to be emerging at a greater pace than in recent village council elections, are unhappy with their government. Of course they may also be looking at the PUP, waiting and perhaps even hoping that on the whole the party is ready to embrace change and rid themselves of the sins of the past.

With another eight weeks of elections remaining, it is clear the pattern will continue where the UDP representatives will continue to do everything possible to make an impression on their leader in the hope that their efforts will sufficiently impress the Prime Minister when it comes time to reshuffle his cabinet.  As for John Briceno and the PUP, the work to continue to move his Party forward and to live the Party’s philosophy must also continue.  So that through our actions PUP supporters will continue to be energized and the Blue Machine will once again fly proudly over the roof tops in our villages and communities across Belize.

| | | | | |