Expert’s Report on Re-Districting Case Completed

There is an important update to the re-districting case filed before the Supreme Court by the Belize Peace Movement. In June, Madam Chief Justice Michel Arana ordered that an expert be appointed to determine independently if the electoral divisions as presently defined and constituted are sufficiently equal, to assess the impact of any mal apportionment. The expert Sean P. Trende was also assigned to identify and quantify discriminatory effects. That report has been completed and it is expected to be filed with the Supreme Court for an expeditious resumption of the redistricting case. Based on the report, it will then be determined if the case moves forward and according to Belize Peace Movement Leader Robert “Bobby” Lopez Trende had indicated that his report “shall also identify international standards of democracy and express a view as to whether the electoral divisions as currently defined and constituted meet those standards and demonstrate the extent of any non-conformity or non-compliance with such standards.”

Robert Lopez

Robert Lopez, Belize Peace Movement

“It’s been a year that we took this thing to court and we are here now. Certainly we are in a critical junction because we know elections are going to be called in the next few days. We feel that it is high time that we get out democracy right. The first pillar of democracy is free and fair elections. So the report is very important. The report will certainly highlight the malapportionment, how it recriminates. We have had two transfer periods since the last re-registration and we are appalled at how the voters list has been corrupted by especially the ruling part. It is a shame but we are sticking with our fight right now that the constituencies need to be re-divisioned so that they are equal as best as possible in number. So the report is very important. I think that is why the chief justice recognized its importance and approved that I be carried out.”