Supreme Court Decision to Precede Redistricting Exercise

Andrew Marshalleck

So, with renewed interest in finalizing a plan to be presented to Cabinet, will the redistricting exercise have any bearing on the court’s decision?  According to Marshalleck, the process will commence after Chief Justice Arana has rendered a decision.

Andrew Marshalleck, Attorney-at-law

“I don’t think that redistricting could have been effected before the case is determined, the case would have been determined first.  But if the object of the case, and we are not the claimants, I represent an interested party, was to provoke and encourage the government to embark upon redistricting, clearly some of that provocation is no longer required given that they say that they will do it.  But in terms of the timing of it, in terms of creating an urgency for it to be done.  It might still have its value.  There is a tendency always to, the redistricting exercise will result in fundamental changes in that just a basic analysis of the numbers and the demographics as they exist in Belize, as the independent expert report shows.  It shows that in Belize District there are four too many seats at least.  In Belize City there is four too many and in Cayo there is two too little and Orange Walk one too little and between Stann Creek and Toledo they are also one short.  So you need to reduce Belize District by four and one goes to Orange Walk, two goes to Cayo and one goes in between Toledo and Stann Creek.”