Low turnout at polls in Belmopan
Voter turnout in Belmopan can only be described as “low” with the count at five fifteen, forty-five minutes before the polls closed putting it at just under thirty-two percent. Only eight hundred forty-six of the eligible two thousand six hundred seventy-six voters went to the Belmopan Comprehensive School to cast their vote in the nation’s first referendum. Forecasters had predicted a seventy percent turnout. The issue was whether or not Belmopan should become a city, with its own city council. And while it likely that the tally will reveal more “yays” than “nays,” Belmopan residents weren’t exactly clamoring for cityhood. Janelle Chanona was in Belmopan, and its surrounds today, to get a sense of the prevailing attitudes and the atmosphere surrounding the referendum. Feelings seemed mixed at best.
Anthony Barnett, Belmopan Resident
“I am not going to vote. I don’t think my “X” will determine whatever that we get city council. I think everybody done accept that a city council we will get.”
Emir Correa, Belmopan Resident
“The government didn’t give us enough options, city or Reconstruction is not correct.”
Correct or not, and despite skepticism by some that it’s already a “done deal” supporters of the referendum were confident today that Belmopan residents will vote for a city council. Raul Castillo says the low turnout is actually a sign of consent.
Raul Castillo, Chairman, Belmopan Citizens Committee
“The voter who feels strongly that we should not have a city council would be here to register that protest vote. I would prefer to believe that those people who have decided to stay at home or who may not be planning to come out to vote, are comfortable whichever way the vote goes.”
Emir Correa says he voted “no” and hopes others understand the issue.
Emir Correa
“I came and I vote against it, not because we want Reconstruction to run it but the way the government put it and even the Opposition is in favor, so that means we have both of them against us. Hopefully the majority understand it.”
Landy Cal, Resident, San Martin
“We have to do this voting because nothing is going on in San Martin and we need some street fix up, lights. So I think it’s the perfect way to manage things in Belmopan.”
Cal voted because he wanted improvement. Others may have voted simply because they were told to.
Noelia Galdemez, Resident, Salvapan
“Some of them are voting because the bus is passing, and they tell them make them go vote right but they no know what is happening, because we no even have meeting, we no even know for what.”
Q: “Do you know what you voted for?”
Resident
“Yeah.”
Q: “What is it?”
Resident
“A city council.”
Q: “Did you just come out here to vote because they told you to vote?”
Resident
“Yes, they told me to come and I come and that’s why I come.”
But regardless of their motivation for voting, a “yes” on the referendum will bring change and hopefully mean incorporating the outlying communities.
Janelle Chanona
“Most of the people living in the community of Maya Mopan came here from the Toledo District, looking for a better way of life. But even though they are just a mile outside Belmopan, most of them still only speak Maya Mopan, Kekchi or Spanish. Their way of life has changed very little.”
Judencio Saki, Chairman, Maya Mopan
“We say this is not a village this is a community, Maya Mopan Community. This is part of Belmopan.
Some people say city council will work better than Recondev but I not sure exactly if that true because I no see yet the city council how it work.”
Raul Castillo
“We’ve held town meetings in every one of the neighborhood communities and of course the residents there have a lot of questions and which we try to answer for them but basically they are in support because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Earl Swasey, Belmopan Resident
“Whatever happens here, have to happen there because we can’t have a small area like that look different, because it is Belmopan. So if we put proper streets here, we should put streets, give them light, water and that’s the way I believe it should go.”
One man is not sure those communities should be included in the vote.
Anthony Barnett
“We haven’t really grown into those villages as yet. They have their own town council or whatever they choose to call it. We haven’t really gone into them as yet; it isn’t that time yet.”
Regardless of public sentiment on the issue, voter turnout was low.
Raul Castillo
“I am a bit surprised and quite disappointed in fact that up to twelve noon only about four hundred twenty voters had come out and that represented just about fifteen percent of the total registered voters. I am not sure what is going on here. I believe that part of the reason is that unlike all other previous elections, where parties have a direct interest in the proceedings and made the deliberate effort of bringing out their supporters, this is not a party issue.”
Janelle Chanona for News Five.
If you would like to check out the final voting figures and monitor the vote tally, you can log on to the Election and Boundaries Department website at belize-election.org. Regardless of the outcome today, Belmopan residents who own property will have to start paying property taxes beginning in April. If the vote is a yes, city council elections are slated for March.
