P.U.P. Chairman on Mayor Sharon Palacio

Belmopan Mayor Sharon Palacio and several other P.U.P. councillor candidates, namely Councillor Hope Amadi, Councillor-Candidate Maria Rebecca Teck and Councillor Candidate Rubicely Botes Benavides, have decided not to contest the upcoming convention scheduled for this Sunday in Belmopan. The letter dated October thirteenth, was written to Secretary General of the People’s United Party, Linsford Castillo.  Last week, Palacio took to social media expressing discontent about the vetting committee and playing dirty politics. That post was deleted shortly thereafter.  Today, P.U.P. Chairman Henry Charles Usher says that Palacio’s decision is regrettable.

Henry Charles Usher

Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, People’s United Party

“I was disappointed to hear that not only Mayor Palacio but other persons who had applied to run for councillors had removed their names. I believe that the P.U.P. is a democratic party; we allow persons to contest; anybody can contest any particular seat. The prime minister is on record to say if anybody wants to contest him in Orange Walk Central, they can certainly do that. So in terms of the process where the vetting committee went through the hundred and twenty-five applications that we had countrywide, decisions were made by the national executive as to the conventions to be held in each jurisdiction, each municipality. Mayor Palacio decided not to be a part of that process. I wish her well. I am certain she has her time that she has to continue to be mayor from now until February, I believe, when her term will be up and the term of the councils countrywide will be up. And we expect that she will continue to govern in the way she has been governing Belmopan as mayor of Belmopan and continue to provide the services that Belmopan deserves.”

As to the public officers who are contesting the municipal elections, Minister Usher says that they will have to resign if elected.