Moya says she’s ready to be mayor of Belize City
Moya for Mayor…that’s the battle cry that went out this afternoon in Belize City as union activist Zenaida Moya officially pitched her hat into the political ring as a contender for the U.D.P. Mayoral nomination. Moya started off her press conference this afternoon with official endorsements from businessman Michael Singh, B.N.T.U. Belize City branch president Elena Smith, University of Belize student body president Moses Sulph and President of the U.D.P. women’s movement Kathy Esquivel. With several other U.D.P. heavy hitters in her camp, including Michael Finnegan as one of her campaign managers, by all accounts Moya will be a force to reckon with. Officially unemployed–she has resigned from her post at the Ministry of National Development–Moya made it clear she’s ready to take on a new job.
Zenaida Moya, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate Nominee
“Being in a man’s world, I have been there, done that… and I’ll continue.” (Audience clapping)
“I am happy that those in the U.D.P. high, low, it doesn’t matter, supports my candidacy. I appreciate their support and I hold no excuses if they support me. I appreciate their support. And as for being unemployed, I see myself as the next mayor of Belize City.”
“A win from the U.D.P. in the city council election should be a keen indication of who will form the next government of Belize. We will make a change. My efforts in even becoming a part of the U.D.P. and becoming one of their mayoral candidates is something that I see as very beneficial. The U.D.P. will form the next government. I want to be a part of the U.D.P. who will be that next government. Dealing with all that I have been dealing with along with my fellow union brothers and sisters, and not only union brothers and sisters, all the social partners, the people of Belize who have joined us. It has showed that simply speaking about issues on the national level, it seeps down, it affects us right here, right where we live, in our neighbourhoods, in our city, then it moves up and it just saturates up there. But it is here in Belize City, and Belize City is a huge city, over eighty thousand people. Belize City deserves someone to step in and become a real change, ensure that whatever policies happen at the top, it is reflective of what should be done at the bottom.”
“Number one priority is as I have mentioned, first of all the city councillors, all the sub-committees, because we will be ensuring that our subcommittees are made up of every single sector of this society. The unions, the business, the churches, the civil society, the students; we need to ensure that everybody is a part of it. We know that the tourism sector has not really been, we have not really taken up the economic opportunities that we could from the tourism sector, we know that, but it is a huge money earner. But is it really a huge money earner for the man and woman on the street who wants to open her shop and sell stuff to the tourists? Is it something that the farmers, the fishermen, the storeowners and all of them are really a part of? No. We will need to ensure that tourism becomes a sector that we really try to ensure that it offers what it should be, not only offer to the richer people, but offer to everybody. And I think by really exploiting tourism in a good manner, I think that we will be able to become financially self-sustainable.”
“There is already a long list of persons running for city council, yes, there is a long list, and of course it shows that people want to join the U.D.P. to change what is wrong in Belize City. Will be looking at that list, I will be looking at that list and looking at who I would like to be side by side running as councillors. So I will be looking at that list and by the convention date there will be a slate that I will be supporting.”
Moya will retain her post on the executive of the Public Service Union. The United Democratic Party’s Municipal Convention will take place on October twenty-third.
