Who will Win the seat in Belmopan? We speak with two of the three Candidates

In the Belmopan constituency, there are three candidates who have placed their names on the ballot. John Saldivar is hoping to keep the seat for the U.D.P. The P.U.P.’s Oscar Mira is making his first entry in national politics and has been chipping away at Saldivar’s base. Independent Candidate Anna Guy Banner is also on the ground campaigning to swing voters to her side. Andre Marsden will be providing coverage in Belmopan, today he got the final messages from both Mira and Guy. Here is his report. 

Andre Mardsen, Reporting

Three Candidates are contesting for the position of area representative for the people of Belmopan. John Saldivar the Incumbent form the U.D.P. will be trying to extend his winning streak but has competition in the forms of Oscar Mira from the P.U.P. and Independent candidate Anna banner Guy. Saldivar did not respond to several request for interview but we were able to sit down with two of the candidates to get to know them better. Banner-guy credits her life experiences, diverse career pathways and interactions with both family and community for shaping her view of leadership which is to break barriers and clear the path for others. But why politics? She says:

Anna Banner Guy, Independent Candidate, Belmopan

Anna Banner Guy

“I like being connected to my community. I believe politics in this country had become a dirty word, a vile word. I worked with a large sector of young people and many of them have a very negative belief or feeling when they hear the word politics and so I feel I have a responsibility to help in redefining the word politics; it’s not supposed to be a bad word. Politics is actually supposed to be a word that more of us embraces and unfortunately that is not the case.”

Her platform is based on community inclusion.

Anna Banner Guy

“When I get elected one of the plans is to create local planning work group. Where community leaders and experts within our community; because we have a lot of valuable resource in the human capacity here in Belmopan that our leaders are not harnessing. Our leaders are not capitalizing on that. So that is one of the things that I am looking at as a very vital and essential thing on my to do list and so we want to grab all these people that want to work along with leadership in our community but have been exempted from doing so. And so that is on top of my list.”

She offers a final message to the public.

Anna Banner Guy

“Your vote is your voice. When you are silent it means you are giving consent. Don’t expect anything to change if you did not go and vote. Because it means that you are happy with what is happening. We cannot just continue with the same old in Belmopan. We definitely need a change.”

We also sat down with P.U.P. Standard Bearer for Belmopan Oscar Mira.

Oscar Mira, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Belmopan

Oscar Mira

“I don’t come from a political family; I don’t come from any big influential family. I come from a hard working humble family. A family whose parents taught us that working hard, getting your education will open up opportunities for you. I want to give that same opportunity that I got and that my siblings got to all those children in Belmopan; those that dream that one day they can be someone.”

He says that he is enthusiastic about starting work for the people of Belmopan and shared the first tings on his agenda.

Oscar Mira

“We need to create opportunities of jobs. Our people need, their standard of living needs to be uplifted. Our economy is going through rough times and we know it is not going to be easy. We have a team of dedicated professional, who are guiding us to ensure that this economy is revived and that our people are given the opportunity and the chance.”

He shares his final message for the public before election.

Oscar Mira

“Vote for the candidate that you believe is going to make a difference in Belmopan. Vote for the candidate that you believe can restore that integrity and honesty in the house of representative. Vote for the candidate that you can see and speak to that has a connection with you. I offer these things and I thing that after November 11, God willing, I will be the area representative for Belmopan and we have great things in store for Belmopan.”

Andre Marsden for News Five.