Mayor says he’ll keep post until deadlock broken

In other news involving the nation’s largest municipality we were told today by Minister of Industry and Commerce Jose Coye that he has not yet resigned as Mayor of Belize City. Under the law, he explained, he can serve in both positions, and while he has prepared his resignation he has not yet tendered it. The reason is the deadlock on the City Council over the selection of his successor. If Coye did resign, then under the law, Minister of Local Government Florencio Marin would then be called upon to choose a new mayor. In the spirit of urban autonomy Coye says that he hopes the City Council can solve its own problems and until it does Deputy Mayor Marshal Nuñez will carry out the functions of Mayor. In the poll last week Nuñez and Councilor Merilyn Young each received four votes as the proxy of absent Councilor Eric Kirkwood, who now lives in the States, was ruled invalid. The next City Council election takes place in March of 1999.