Where is Bernard Wagner in the Belize City Mayoral Race?
It’s official, there are three candidates within the People’s United Party, including incumbent Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner, vying for the highest seat in municipal government. As we reported a few weeks ago, Deputy Mayor Allan Pollard has tossed his hat in the ring and is joined by businessman Lawrence Ellis who has also submitted his application. But what’s the fate of the sitting two-time mayor who has expressed on several occasions that he expects the P.U.P. to endorse his candidacy for a third term? Tonight, we look at the political race for the mayorship of Belize City and we spoke with all candidates, including the sole woman in the mayoral contest. We begin with Mayor Wagner, who says that this may very well be his last term in office at City Hall should his candidacy not be endorsed.
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
“I want to complete, finish some work that we have for the city, but it’s all up to the party. The party obviously has its own processes and mechanisms in place and each one of us has our rights. I’ve seen several candidates submitting applications for the post, but my position remains the same that I will not seek, I will not go to a convention. That’s my right, the party has its right and the other individuals have exercised their rights as well.”
Isani Cayetano
“My understanding, Mayor Wagner, is that the deadline for the submission of names for the mayoral race has come and gone and, if I’m not mistaken, you just mentioned that you don’t want to go to a convention. So what happens in that case?”
Bernard Wagner
“Well, I just submitted my application and the application process is the initial process that you go and submit your form. But there are terms and conditions in respect to my approach to this third vying for the seat. I’ve been there for two terms, I believe in 2018 we didn’t have to go to a convention. I believe that I’ve served the people, I’ve tried to serve all community, I’ve tried to serve every part of the society. We have some projects in the pipeline that I would want to shepherd, that I would want to see go through. It doesn’t mean that the projects will not happen if I’m not there, but we would really want to see those through, but at the end of the day it really comes back to the decision of the party and I respect the decision of the party. If the party says, “Mayor, we want to go to convention,” then it’s bye-bye for me. I will say, respectfully, thank you and I move on to other aspects of my life.”