New election commissioners sworn in

It’s a big job and today the people who will be responsible for keeping our elections free and fair were given their official appointments. This afternoon the press got a chance to ask them some pointed questions about ballots and boundaries.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting

This afternoon swearing in ceremonies were held in Belize City officially appoint members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission.

The new members are Chairman, Karl H. Menzies and Derek Courtenay. Returning members are Alberto August, Herbert Panton and Samira Musa Pott.

Now that the official business is over, the real work begins. The commission is charged to look at Belize’s political constituencies, challenged to redistrict the divisions in order to lessen the incredible population gaps that became all too apparent prior to the March fifth elections.

Karl H. Menzies, Chair, Elections & Boundaries Commission

“We have to look at the overall country, then we will look at the sections that has the biggest imbalances and try to start the adjustments there.”

Herbert Panton, Member, Elections & Boundaries Commission

“I think we have to be guided by the constitution, and section ninety, which deals with redistricting, specifically speaks about the number of electors in each constituency being as nearly as is possible equal, so that the days of eight thousand plus in Cayo South and little under two thousand in Fort George should be over.”

There are presently twenty-nine electoral divisions in Belize. According to Chief Elections Officer, Myrtle Palacio, during the redistricting process the department will either add to that number of seats or expand the size of the divisions.

Myrtle Palacio, Chief Elections Officer

“Right now the ratio stands at four to one between Cayo South and the Pickstock division, which is not much difference from 1998 when we had a new list. When we went into elections we had re-registration, we had just completed re-registration. The variances then was at a ratio of three point five to one. In terms of growth, it is well spread because in five years, three point five to one to four to one is very little. And from time to time, as dictated by the constitution, in the kind of electoral system that we have, the plural system, where a winner is called on a single division, there is a need to look at the population and do something about bringing the population to as equal as possible.”

But while reconfiguration of constituencies will take precedence, Opposition appointed members say other issues including the role of political parties in the process, will also have to be addressed by the commission.

Herbert Panton

“There is quite a bit of work to be done by this commission. The whole process of continuous registration, and the process of involvement of political parties in that process, not as appendages to the process, but as stakeholders. Certainly since the elections, the U.D.P. has had major problems in accessing something as simple as the monthly supplementary list. So it is issues such as those, basically, getting the political parties to be the stakeholders that they are and not have them treated as appendages to the process.”

Menzies, Pott and Courtenay were nominated by Government, while August and Panton represent the Opposition.