Corozaleños Meet Mayoral Candidates Rigo Vellos & Richard Quan

A team also headed to Corozal Town and found the political parties on the ground in the last leg of the campaign before the elections. The town is swamped with blue and red signs and election paraphernalia which show the fieriness of the campaign by the People’s United Party which wants to unseat the incumbent United Democratic Party. The major concern up north is joblessness; we asked both mayoral candidates and their teams to address how they plan to get residents in the work force. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

In Corozal District, the United Democratic Party has been at the helm of the town council, under the leadership of four-term mayor, Hilberto Campos. But three mayoral candidates have successfully entered the race to replace Campos. From the two main political parties, it’s Rigoberto Vellos (P.U.P.) versus Richard Quan (U.D.P.).

Richard Quan

Richard Quan, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“My character as a public servant is perhaps embedded in my DNA because when I was a child, I can vividly recall when my father was mayor of Corozal and I would go around with him painting trees, cleaning the parks and I did a lot of activities. Then I say, I think this is the time now for me to take up the plate like my father and be the mayor of Corozal Town.”

Rigoberto Vellos

Rigoberto Vellos, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“I’ve been standing on a side watching how my poor people in Corozal have been suffering for too long. I heard their cries and I have decided to be part of that change, the positive change that Corozal needs. I am a person who is very well known for having discipline, [being] hardworking and I believe that is exactly what Corozal needs. We need a strong leader in town council to move Corozal forward.”

But when they go to the polls, what will residents vote for? Both teams have been on the campaign since last year. Of great concern is joblessness in the northernmost municipality, as hundreds of students graduate annually and there is a lack of employment opportunities.

Rigoberto Vellos

“One of the main things that people are crying for is the opportunity for job. We have absolutely no jobs for our young people here in Corozal and with new ideas, I am sure that my town council will create jobs for Corozaleños.”

Duane Moody

“Some people may say but you have no experience in this. Why should they go on March seventh to those polling stations and vote for Rigo and his team?”

Rigoberto Vellos

“Actually Duane, I attended the University of Belize and I studied marketing and small business. And because of the sport that I do, I have discipline; I know what it is to do hard work and I have the best team for Corozal, who are also backed up by their education and by their experiences. So I am sure that we are the right team to put Corozal into progress again.”

Richard Quan

“We have a perfect plan for that. We are aiming on tourism, tourism, tourism. We have the STP Phase Two project that is coming to Corozal and we will get the first chunk out of that. From where the fisherman wharf is to where the next wharf is, we are having a boardwalk, Mister Moody. A boardwalk with chairs and lights so we can go there and relax; see the sun rise and the sun set. And then we are going to have an amphitheatre there. You know Corozaleños are very talented people and we are having that there for big events. And last we are having fifteen bathrooms because sometimes we have events and bathroom is the main thing. So we’ll have fifteen individual bathrooms that will have the bathrooms and the shower. Then we are having five restaurants there. Then we are having the tours. We are having a sea tour and a land tour. That’s where we are asking the students of sixth form to please make sure they know a little history of Corozal because that we want to sell to the tourist people that come.”

Running alongside Quan as a councillor candidate is Carlos Acosta, the District Sports Coordinator for Corozal. “Net” Acosta believes that the U.D.P.-Seven team will further develop youth sporting activities and the Bay.

Carlos Acosta

Carlos Acosta, U.D.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“My passion has always been sports and politics. Today, I feel that I have served my youths and my community in sports and now I take up as councillor for the U.D.P. for my people of Corozal to ensure that the job continue what the U.D.P. has done in the past ten years.  We will ensure that streets are kept well, we want to develop the Bay in tourism; we want to continue the education system, the health system. And basically for the youths, in my side, I want to continue development the municipal sports program.”

Meanwhile, the P.U.P.’s Doctor Toni Paharsingh and youth candidate, Dilan Casanova are convinced that the municipality needs a change in leadership. They say that a voice for the youth and innovative business development is what’s needed for Corozaleños.

Toni Paharsingh

Dr. Toni Paharsingh, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“It really hits homes when you are seeing that your town is the second poorest; that forty percent of our people are living under the poverty line and that our children are thirty percent under the malnutrition line. Something is wrong. And all that goes back to unemployment and poverty is linked to everything. So we as a team we took initiatives from before. We said that we are here to prove ourselves that we are here to work. That’s when we took on the health fairs and so for to show that town council is much more than just streets and drains.”

Dilan Casanova

Dilan Casanova, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal 

“There are no opportunities for us the young people, so it is time for a young person to step up to the plate and represent our people.”

Duane Moody

“What are the youths asking for?”

Dilan Casanova

“Many youths are clamouring; they want employment. We are graduating from high school, sixth form, university and all we do is stay home and sit down.”

Duane Moody reporting for News Five.