Red and Blue say they are ready to lead the Twin Towns in the west

Both political parties said they were confident in the west. Now there has not been a P.U.P. town council for some time in San Ignacio, but that did not dissuade the supporters of the opposition party. Both mayoral candidates are well known; one is tested and the other is hoping to turn things around.  Andrea Polanco was in the west and has the following report.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Come March fourth, the San Ignacio and Santa Elena electorate will be going to the polls to elect their municipal representatives. Their choices- a U.D.P. slate led by seasoned politician, Earl Trapp, and a P.U.P. team under the leadership of the young and vibrant Ramon Quiroz Junior. At today’s nominations, the mayoral hopefuls expressed their confidence at next month’s elections.

Ramon Quiroz Jr.

Ramon Quiroz Jr., P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, San Ignacio

“We have a team that is comprised of youth and maturity. We have females and we have males; we have people from San Ignacio and Santa Elena so we bring a lot of diversity to the team. And that is what the people are looking for. We were elected this way; we had a convention and we were elected this way. So the people spoke and I can tell you that all of us are pulling our weight. We have the mighty Shane Vasquez, which to the media, he is no stranger, but he as well has his part to play in San Ignacio and Santa Elena as he lives here. We have an ex-police officer, who had a huge role while he was a police officer and he is now working with the youths—not only of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, but for the entire country. So I can tell you, we have people who are qualified, people who are willing to put their hard earned effort to make San Ignacio a better place. We need to start listening to the people; this is what the present administration is not doing. There is no consultation; today, we bring that as a platform for us…look at the social issues as well affecting San Ignacio and Santa Elena and that is what we want to change.”

Earl Trapp, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, San Ignacio

“To be honest, I have been mostly in the grounds of Santa Elena for the past month. Immediately after the bye-election with Omar, I began walking the streets in Santa Elena and to be honest, it wasn’t surprising to me; the support has been one that is very much overwhelming. Basically the people are saying that the progress is obvious and they will ride with the flow because they want to see the progress continue.”

In the last municipal elections, Quiroz wasn’t successful when he went up against John August. But this time around, he believes that his second shot will get him into office. 

Ramon Quiroz Jr.

“To the media, I am no stranger. I ran in the last elections and I ran against a two-time incumbent and I lost by a very small margin. It was my first election and I learnt a lot of things and I realize that for us to win, we needed to be on the ground, which I started immediately after I lost and I have not stopped. I have worked the list, I have registered the young people, I have visited different areas of the Twin Towns—which I did not visit before. Who knows me know that I come from the traditional U.D.P. area, but because they know me and they know where I come from. From a little child I was on the streets selling tamales and all of that; I come from that and this is why I can tell you that the red hills are no longer red hills for me. I can tell you the support, y strength is up there. Santa Elena, Dan Silva brought a lot of support for us; he is a candidate that is very seasoned in politics. He is back on the train and I can tell you Santa Elena will deliver for the People’s United Party come March fourth.”

So how does a veteran like Trapp prepare for the mayoral seat? He says that it’s all about putting in his fair share of work and continues to build on what is there.

Earl Trapp

Earl Trapp

“I am a person that gets involved in the work. So this is what the people have seen from myself. I have always been involved in the daily operations and that will speak for itself. I mean the administrative part at the council; it is something that I need to get more involved in. But like in anything else, there is a challenge; everything is a challenge. But as we pass that bridge, we are going to pass that gap.”

And if political signs plastered across the towns and fanfare in the streets today were any indications of who will be taking up the leadership of the towns, then it wouldn’t be a difficult guess. Trapp says the people are behind him. But, Quiroz, whose supporters were visibly lesser than the U.D.P.’s, says the voters will not be swayed:

Ramon Quiroz Jr.

“Well, I can tell you that money won’t buy love. The love the people have for us here in San Ignacio is tremendous and he can spend all he wants. But I can tell you last elections when I ran, I didn’t spend. I did grassroots campaigning and I can tell you the margin of loss last election will definitely be different this time around. So money will not play a factor that day.”

Andrea Polanco

“You have quite a showing out here today. I mean we must ask are these people eligible voters?”

Earl Trapp

“Oh sure, these are all residents that are living in San Ignacio and Santa Elena and residents that will come out and support us. I can say, I have to really give props to our different area representatives that are really doing some serious works on the grounds with us. Here, we are in Cayo Central and Mister Montero has really been doing his homework. Mister Omar, Doctor Figueroa, he is doing a great work in Cayo North and as well we have our current mayor, mayor John August, who has been doing excellent in Cayo North East and these three along with myself and my team will ensure a great victory on the fourth of March.”

Andrea Polanco

“Now, Mister Trapp, we must ask…there are reports circulating that initially you didn’t have the support of the U.D.P. because they wanted Shari Medina to run as the mayoral candidate. Is there any truth to these reports and do you think that if you don’t have that support of the U.D.P. that it will impact your candidacy?”

Earl Trapp

“No, no, no no. To be honest, we are living in a democratic society and people support who they want. But at the end of the day, it is the majority that dictates the pace. But no, I won the convention by over six-seven hundred votes. So that in itself speaks for itself.”

Both candidates have been on the ground. So, what are their plans for the towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena? From tourism to infrastructure to security to employment – Trapp and Quiroz say they know exactly what the people are clamoring for.

Ramon Quiroz Jr.

“The people are crying for employment; the people are crying for attention when it comes to garbage collection, when it comes to their drains, when it comes to the streets. Those are their issues. I visit and I meet a lot of new voters, first time voters and they are saying Mister Quiroz, we are doing the requirements, we have gotten educated, we are doing everything we need now to get a job and now when we apply, there is no employment. Garbage collection needs to be a twenty-four hour system. We plan to do that. When it comes to surveillances at the schools, we plan to do that. We plan to install twenty-four hour cameras for surveillances for children’s safety. The children are our backbone for this town and we cannot protect them and look after them now, then who will look after them. So those are things that are affecting our community.”

Earl Trapp

“Today, most or all municipalities are mostly depending on a monthly subvention from the government and the little property tax and trade license that are coming in along with the transport. What we will do, we will go a step further and we will implement a program where we will install a tourism infrastructure within our Twin Towns that will bring in great revenues, that will create new jobs, that will bring down the crime rate and a project that will get the economy boosted. And of course the revenues that will come in from that project will be used on the great infrastructural work that we are seeing through-out our twin towns.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Andrea Polanco.