Boots Says No to Redistricting in Port Loyola

Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez

The redistricting exercise, as we’ve reported previously, is causing a stir in various corners, including Port Loyola, where some residents believe that their constituency will be done away it and they will be registered in another area.  But not if former area representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez can help it.  He says that not only does Port Loyola meet the threshold by law, but he is prepared to take the matter to court should the division he’s represented for four terms be tampered with.

Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, Former U.D.P. Politician

“There is no possibility of that.  Mr. Briceño, Elections & Boundaries Taskforce, nobody has the legal authority fu disseminate or bruk up wah constituency weh have di requisite number.  I am sorry, sir.  If that possibility should ever arise, I could bet you, if nothing from the whole redistricting exercise, will go afoul of the law, that one is because fi start wid, I, as a citizen and as the former area representative, if that ever try fly through, I will challenge that in court as per the law.  The law seh each constituency shall be redistricted.  It’s about registered voters for constituency, you know, shall have as equal as possible.  Port Loyola, with the recent influx of transfer from since the third of July to the tenth of July, this is the cutoff date for the first list, I wah tell you [that] Port Loyola gaan from fifth to fourth in the Belize District.  You di talk bout Port Loyola got, right now, Port Loyola got four thousand, seven hundred and sixty registered voters.  They’ve jumped Belize Rural North which only has four thousand, seven hundred and forty-nine.  They come in first in terms of registered voters, San Pedro, Belize Rural Central, then Lake-I.  I am saying, yoh first thing da fu, eena my view, what as I read in Section 90 of the constitution.  I believe that the taskforce should have taken a look and see, the constitution noh talk bout who older, who younger, who between… di constitution talks about the amount ah registered voters per constituency, proportionate representation, if you want to take it that way.”