Team Butler Wears the Garland in 2018 Cycling Federation Elections

The anticipated elections at the Cycling Federation took place over the weekend. It was long overdue because of legal challenges over who qualified to run. That out of the way, the elections proceeded on Saturday at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Belize City.  Two hundred and sixty-sevens were qualified to vote, one hundred and thirty-six cast their votes. The Orson Butler and Dion Leslie team was successful in effect switching roles with Butler as president and Leslie as his V.P.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano looks at the elections.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

There’s a new sheriff in town and along with him comes a mandate which promises a renewed focus on moving the sport of cycling forward.  On Saturday, the local racing community came together at the UWI auditorium where the first elections in four years were held to choose a new executive.  For the past several months, two teams, led by Orson Butler and Alexi Ordonez, respectively, have been campaigning on a platform of change.  It’s a message that is welcomed by a fraternity of riders who are, for all intents and purposes, tired of the status quo within the Cycling Federation.  In the end, however, only one slate would emerge victorious.

Julian Murillo

Julian Murillo, National Olympic Committee

“The Ordonez slate received fifty-six votes and the Butler slate received eighty votes and there was one spoiled vote.  So the new executive for the Cycling Federation of Belize is the Butler slate.”

Ahead of the July fourteenth election, numerous concerns had been voiced on the liassez-faire manner in which the federation is being administered, prompting its membership to choose between a combination of an existing regime or an entirely new slate.

Orson Butler

Orson Butler, Newly Elected President, CFB

“As the new executive for 2018-2022, I thank all the members who supported us and who did not support us.  This 2018-2022 [executive], we plan to have everybody inclusive, work the sport and see how we can grow the sport as far as possible.  With that said, thank you all and on my behalf, will direct my executives also to say a few words.”

Dion Leslie

Dion Leslie, Newly Elected Vice President, CFB

“First of all, again, thank you.  The first thing I would like to do is to extend a hand of friendship and extend a hand to Team Upward Bound because, first of all, to put yourself out is not an easy task.  We always hear people sit down and talk and have ideas, but not everyone is willing to put their name on a ballot and put themselves out there to try and actually make a difference.  So the first thing I would like to do, with the blessing of course of my executive, my colleagues is to extend a hand of friendship.  We had great ideas, let’s come together with our ideas, your ideas and build on them because at the end of the day it’s not about personalities, it’s not about any single individuals.  It’s about the sport and the riders.”

And that is the single most important consideration to be made by the new administration, that the interests and wellbeing of riders come first; a criticism that has overshadowed the previous presidency.

Orson Butler

“Well basically we just have to revamp the whole constitution of our present federation.  As it is, we have articles that are registered at the registry.  We have to sit with our members and all our managers to re-establish the constitution and move the sport forward.  Basically, first of all we have to finish this year’s calendar and then we look at what we have to move on to 2019.  We just have to complete this 2018 calendar and then we look forward to a progressive and a new 2019 cycling calendar for the members.  It’s a progress; we have to go back to the members for the new coming year.  We just have to make sure we finish our calendar as is that we have for 2018 and that has been set out from the end of 2017, in December.  So we have to make sure we continue all these races that we have planned on our calendar and make sure that they are ran well.  Well it’s not going to be the same old, same old.  Remember, when we took office in 2013 we have fifteen executive bodies to run this sport of cycling.  Since 2015, it has been only three.  So now in 2018 elections we have seven members, so now we have responsibility for each member to try and advance the sport forward and make the sport better for everyone.”

Immediate Past President Dion Leslie was re-elected as vice president of the Cycling Federation of Belize. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.