Statistics not in favour of Independent candidates
While the focus has been on the two major political parties, the U.D.P. and P.U.P., for Wednesday municipal elections, there is a story to tell about independent and the small third parties. Jose Sanchez has a look at the statistics available from the Elections and Boundaries.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
On this election eve we take a look at Independent candidates. There are some who believe that the People’s United Party and the United Democratic Party had a chance to run local government. They think a third party or independent candidates will provide the proper administration needed to manage the city and town councils. There were no independent candidates in Orange Walk, Benque and Dangriga in 2006 but the statistics from that year show that the majority of voters are not ready to vote for colors other than red or blue.
In Belize City all the U.D.P. candidates who won, did so with over twelve thousand votes each. The National Alliance for Belizean Rights was the third party which nominated two candidates. They were slaughtered, they only got slightly over two hundred votes each. NABR went quiet and is not contesting the 2009 Belize City Council Elections.
Ernesto Caliz, the independent candidate who ran for San Pedro Mayor, did poorly and only obtained one hundred votes, while Mayor Elsa Paz won with one thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight votes. No independent candidate has emerged in San Pedro for 2009.
The Corozal Town Council fielded an entire slate by a third party. The We the People Party had high hopes under its Mayoral Candidate, Hipolito Bautista. But they were severely crushed in that election. The lowest amount of votes by an elected official was one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight. We The People’s highest amount of votes for a candidate was two hundred and two. That party has also not re-appeared, but independent candidate Edward Henderson has thrown his name in the ring for Corozal Mayor in this election.
In the Cayo District, the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena nominated independent candidates for Mayor in 2006. The lowest number of votes for an elected candidate in that year was three thousand two hundred and sixty-three. That figure is of astronomical proportion to the miniscule eighty-three and one hundred and eighty-two votes won by the independents. But eighty-three votes have not deterred Luis Ayala from re-entering the 2009 elections. He is joined by another independent candidate Alfonso Cruz, who also hopes to beat the harsh statistics. Cruz is a former U.D.P. candidate who was defeated at convention.
In Benque, the P.U.P.’s Armando Chulin managed to win a council seat by a narrow margin of seventeen votes. While there wasn’t a third party in 2006, there is one for 2009. The Benque Association has a full slate headed by Humberto Moh who is running for Mayor.
There were no independents or third party in Dangriga in 2006, but two men have joined the race in Dangriga for 2009. Christopher Lewis and Francis Marin have added their name as candidates for Dangriga’s next Mayor.
Further south, the Punta Gorda Town Council election also saw the nomination of an independent candidate for Mayor in 2006. Anthony Westby’s three hundred and eighty-six votes was no match for P.U.P. Mayoral candidate Carlos “Obeah” Galvez’s six hundred and twenty-three votes. The P.U.P.’s Leonardo Chavarria also won a P.G. Council seat. Perhaps because the council is mixed, two additional parties and one independent candidate have joined the race in Punta Gorda for the 2009 elections. The People’s National Party has entered a full slate, and they are joined in the quest by two members of the Congress of the P.G People. Independent candidate Hervan Morgan is also seeking a council seat. Two independents who dropped out of the P.G. race before it started are Jose Gabb and Charles Selgado. Selgado was the U.D.P.’s 2006 mayoral candidate who was defeated by Charles “Obeah” Galvez .
The strongest show of force by a third party in recent years has been in the Capital, Belmopan. The Vision Inspired by the People has joined the election race since 2000. However slow, they have been increasing in the number of votes they attain with each election. The highest votes received, seven hundred and forty-four, came from Bobby Lopez in 2006. It was still seven hundred and fifteen votes shy of the nearest council seat. There are sixty-seven seats available throughout nine municipalities for 2009. If there is any chance of a third party candidate being elected, the VIP hopes to be that party. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
And in respect of coverage tomorrow, News Five in collaboration with Love FM will be broadcasting live from throughout the country including live feeds on television from battle grounds starting at six a.m. Viewers can also tune in to streaming video on our Channel Five website all day for minute to minute reporting as voters go to the polls. So stay tuned…
