Corozal Aspirant Challenges Party over Female Representation; Arthur Saldivar also Denied

Thea Garcia Ramirez

In other political news, the People’s United Party held a meeting today of the National Executive in Belize City. It debated several serious matters and heard from Thea Garcia Ramirez of Corozal, the first female chair of the Northern Caucus and Corozal Bay executive.  After losing a convention for standard bearer, Garcia Ramirez is standing down from both positions. But before her exit, she gave a review of her experience as a woman in politics in the P.U.P.  Garcia Ramirez told her fellow members that the party needs to seriously work on making women equal in the party and that the P.U.P. is a long way from the constitutionally mandated thirty percent threshold of women’s participation.

Arthur Saldivar

The executive today also lifted a suspension from former Belize Rural North standard bearer Arthur Saldivar, but he will not be able to run for the P.U.P. in Belmopan. Saldivar was hoping to mount a challenge to Patrick Andrews and Oscar Mira in the capital. Leader John Briceño indicated following the end of the meeting this afternoon that he would be holding a formal press briefing next week.