Newcomers Contest Orange Walk East
On Tuesday, we took you on the campaign trail with the three candidates who will be battling for the Orange Walk Central seat on November fourth. It’s part of our continuing pre-election coverage across the country. Tonight, we take you to an area which promises to be one of the hot zones in Orange Walk – the East, contested by the P.U.P.’s Josue Carballo and the U.D.P.’s Elodio Aragon Jr. The East is always a battleground, and with two young, energetic candidates on the ground, that tradition promises to hold true. Mike Rudon has the story.
Mike Rudon, Reporting
Elodio Aragon Jr., son of a former U.D.P. Minister of the same name, spends his days before November fourth going house to house. He’s a career policeman turned politician, and this is his first general election. Still, he’s been in the area for some time now as the Standard Bearer and he says that presence will count in his favour on Election Day.
Elodio Aragon Jr., U.D.P. Candidate, OW East
“Since the Prime Minister called elections for the fourth of November I’ve been busy. I’ve always been busy from day one. From the day I made that commitment to the people of Orange Walk East I’ve been on the ground. Definitely I’ve been in all the villages already and right now I’m trying to do the town for the third time since I’ve been here a year and eight months.”
Aragon says he will also be helped by the wave of Petrocaribe-funded infrastructure work leading up to the election.
Elodio Aragon Jr.
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“If you visit the villages of the East you will see great development that has been taking place there. Of course in Orange Walk Town if you look behind us you’ll see the upgrade, the paving of Liberty Avenue and that is a major accomplishment right now. This is the first phase of Liberty Avenue. We hope to get that opportunity to continue on the Phase two and Phase three of this area and definitely this is only the start of what will come for Orange Walk East. Definitely I do believe that the people of the East are ready for a true leader, a leader that will work and will have them at heart, a leader that will make a difference in the area and I do believe that leader is myself, and I am asking the people of Orange Walk East to give me that opportunity.”
As he seeks support from residents of Orange Walk East, house to house…neighbourhood to neighbourhood, Aragon is also dismissive of his opponent in the race.
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“I don’t think there is much to say about him. Anytime anybody comes out looking for assistance, looking for help, looking for needs in their villages, in the towns, they find me because I’m here twenty-four hours. I’m the only Standard Bearer with an office open. Not even the P.U.P. representative has his office open. People have only known Mr. Aragon.”
The truth is, though, that Aragon will face a formidable candidate in the P.U.P.’s Josue Carballo, who is a sitting Town Councillor and certainly no stranger to politics in the East. Carballo is looking to take over the seat from sitting P.U.P. Representative Marco Tulio Mendez. He says that this daily grind, these long hours of campaigning and meeting the people is what it’s all about.
Josue Carballo, P.U.P. Candidate, OW East
“This is the best part of politics, when you get the change to actually come out and engage with your voters…you get this opportunity to come out, listen and understand the way this country has been ill-governed, understand the frustration of the people looking for a way out. This is the time when we sit down and we are able to have that conversation, that meaningful dialogue in which we let our voters know that there is hope.”
Josue Carballo
Carballo is campaigning on a governance platform – one that is being pushed by the People’s United Party.
Josue Carballo
“We understand that what the people want is good governance. What the people is accountability, openness…that’s the bottom line. What this current government has done is basically try to blind us from all the abusive, excessive spending and is trying to live in the past, trying to live in 2008 when right now we are in 2015…seven years going to eight years of neglect.”
Both candidates are out doing the requisite legwork. Both are battling for their first terms in the big time. One represents the incumbent Central Government and the other the Party which currently controls the division. The East will be one of the places to watch on Election Day. Mike Rudon for News Five.
