Two challengers seek upset in Collet
With football and basketball suffering from internal problems it is clear that Belize’s reigning national sport is politics. And even though the next election is probably two and a half years away, in many areas the streets are full of campaigners. Professionals, as well as part time politicians are busy dispensing promises as well as more tangible perks. The occasion is nominating conventions for the standard bearers of both parties. While on the UDP side things are still pretty quiet, in two Belize City constituencies well known PUP candidates are battling each other for a place on the ticket. Tonight we look at those two divisions. News 5’s Jose Sanchez leads off with a quick look at the Collet.
Campaigner
“We decide now that we want Marshal, I am from Lake but I am working for Marshal. Marshal is the better man, Cox can’t win either. We want Marshall now.”
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
In Collet, two challengers are looking to unseat incumbent representative Remijio Montejo. Normally they wouldn’t have much hope, but after a widely publicized rift with his own government over relief after Keith, Montejo has been forced to defend his stewardship.
Remijio Montejo Area Rep. Collet Division
“People in this Collet Division will vote for me because of my performance and my record over the past two and a half years.”
Jose Sanchez
“So what have you been doing?”
Remijio Montejo
“We have a commitment here of what we will do. If you notice, it says the PUP government will. We have done mostly everything that is on this agenda here, meaning our streets, building homes like the one there, the infrastructure that has been planned, a new community that is starting now, it has been planned, it’s just a matter of getting the cost. And this will be a major development for the Collet Division, so my record is good.”
Montejo has been in hot water last year because some area residents were complaining that he wasn’t doing enough.
Remijio Montejo
“Of course you know resources are scarce, so we have to be competing with other divisions for resources. But I have spoken out at some point that my party can do more for Collet. I spoke out last year, and the government is now responding handsomely in the Collet Division.”
Raymond Cox was once part of Montejo’s team, but now feels equipped to be the PUP’s standard bearer.
Raymond Cox, PUP Candidate, Collet Division
“During the last election, I was actively involved with Mr. Remijio Montejo’s campaign, ’99 city council election, I was the counselor representing Collet Division right now. Since then we have put in quite a number of infrastructure in the area. We have taken down quite a number of London bridges, put in new streets, connect Raccoon Street along with Pen Road, connect all extensions to have a complete flow around. Once we completed the infrastructure, we took in the utilities: water, electricity telephone, you know without the roads and streets none of the utilities will go in. We have already started those infrastructural work to show the people we are not just about talk, we are about getting the job done.”
Marshal Nunez, one time Mayor and Belize City Councilor says that he has ideas that will help Collet get back on the right track.
Marshal Nunez, PUP Candidate, Collet Division
“Firstly I will not single-handedly be able to fix the problems, but including the Collet community we will be able to address most of the problems. We have the problem of housing, infrastructure, job, of unemployment, and collectively we can do things, organize ourselves into groups and we will be able to generate employment, lobby particular organisations ensure that we get improved housing, better infrastructure for the people of this division.”
“If you look right across the street, along with the guys who play there at the basketball court, within four days we were able to transform that particular area of the facility from grass to bleachers, doing it together. That’s the kind of collective approach we will have to transform this division.”
There are over two thousand voters in the division, and the candidates expect that sixty percent will turn out. The three candidates are all seasoned politicians who are well acquainted with the game of electoral hardball. By Sunday night only one man will be left in the game. Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
Sunday’s conventions in Collet will be held at Independence Hall on Queen Street.
