People’s Referendum set and ready for Wednesday

Voting takes place this Wednesday on offshore drilling. Across the country, forty-six polling stations are being set up for the People’s Referendum which will determine whether registered voters support or reject drilling in Belize’s waters. B.T.I.A. and the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage are involved in the national referendum, which is being organized after the Elections and Boundaries Department turned down eight thousand signatures collected by the Coalition. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports on how volunteers are now taking up the challenge to conduct the referendum.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

The Peoples Referendum on the offshore drilling issue is an independent venture of the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage and Oceana Belize. Across the country on Wednesday February twenty ninth, volunteers will operate polling stations to get the nation’s true position about whether or not to drill offshore.

Giovanni Brackett

Giovanni Brackett, President, COLA

“We’re here today; the coalition has set up this training day for all those team leaders and those who will be participating on Wednesday’s People’s Referendum Day. We were supposed to have about fifty polling stations throughout the country—canvassing the entire country—so that voters in every constituency, in every area of Belize can participate and have that opportunity to vote whether or not they want oil exploration in Belize. The People’s Referendum is not to force people to say yes or to vote no.”

Daisy Novelo

Volunteers from every district have joined the coalition to assist in the polling efforts, which has culminated in a weekend training session.

Daisy Novelo, Volunteer, Orange Walk

“For me it’s important to be a part of this historic moment because I have children and I know that Belize is known as the hidden jewel. So if we start to drill in our reef and what will be the heritage we will give to our younger generation?”

Rafael Alamilla, Volunteer, Caye Caulker

Rafael Alamilla

“I am here because I represent our country and we are a coalition that is fighting together to stop this oil drilling that this government seems to want to apply to this community and that’s not happening in our point of view. I feel like at this time, now that we are stronger, we will make it happen and there is no way that we are backing down; not at all.”

Regina Foster

Regina Foster, Volunteer, Punta Gorda

“I am the team leader for PG, we are strategically working with the Coalition and Oceana to help coordinate a very big turnout in Punta Gorda and our extending villages. We have a big load to handle but today’s training was very effective to help us expand our scope of how to effectively approach. We got more facts to make sure we are approaching the community about the true facts about offshore drilling and our position as individuals that our opinion matters. So the People’s Referendum is their time to come out and speak. So we want to be able to facilitate everyone as conveniently as possible, but as effectively and as they said we have to make sure we validate every vote to the right point. So we want everyone to come with their voters ID in Toledo. we are going to make sure we have one position in the San Antonio Village and we have Central Park as our main location.”

Giovanni Brackett

“An opportunity in whether or not something as risky as offshore drilling—whether or not we want it. we know that our twenty thousand signatures were turned down and that hasn’t set well. And today we have tens of people here—close to over a hundred and fifty people here today—who have come out to support. And it shows that we are building a momentum and I think whichever government forms—whether it is U.D.P., BUA or P.U.P.—I think the people here on Wednesday along with the country will give a mandate. We don’t care whatever you stand on—we don’t want or we want offshore drilling.”

The organizers hope that whichever political party wins the March seventh elections, will respect the February 29^th Peoples Referendum Poll. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.