Candidates vie for seats in Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo

On Thursday we ran down the candidates planning to run in the Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize Districts. Tonight News Five’s Kendra Griffith lists the aspiring candidates from Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo.

The Cayo district gained two new divisions after the 2004 redistricting exercise. As a result, incumbent United Democratic Party area representative in Cayo South, John Saldivar, will now be running in Belmopan. He has of company in the form of People’s United Party candidate Rolando Zetina and Vision Inspired by the People Party Leader, Paul Morgan.

There is similar activity in the newly formed Cayo North East as the P.U.P.’s Orlando Habet, Elvin Penner of the U.D.P., and N.R.P. Party Leader Corneluis Dueck battle to become the division’s first area rep.

Cayo Central will see a rematch between P.U.P. incumbent Mario Castellanos and the U.D.P.’s Rene Montero. Running for the third parties will be Gilroy Requena of V.I.P. and George Boiton Jr. for the N.R.P.

U.D.P. veteran Salvador Fernandez makes a come back, hoping to reclaim his Cayo North seat. He will face the P.U.P.’s Otto Coleman and Alden McDougal for the N.R.P. That seat is currently held by P.U.P. Ainslie Leslie.

Cayo West will feature round two between U.D.P. incumbent Erwin Contreras and the P.U.P.’s Kendal Mendez.

Rounding out the districts, the residents in Cayo South will be choosing from a full slate as the division has Charles Galvez running for the P.U.P., Ramon Witz representing the U.D.P., the National Belizean Alliance is backing Richard Smith, the V.I.P. will be counting on veteran Hubert Enriquez, while the N.R.P. is fielding Esteban Bejerano.

Two veterans will face off in Stann Creek West as P.U.P. incumbent Rodwell Ferguson defends his seat against former U.D.P. rep, Melvin Hulse. The V.I.P. candidate for the division is Mateo Polanco.

In Dangriga, former P.U.P. mayor Cassian Nunez takes over from retiree Sylvia Flores to go up against the U.D.P.’s Arthur Roches.

Another rematch can be found in Toledo East as P.U.P. incumbent Mike Espat once again faces the U.D.P.’s Peter “Eden” Martinez. Complicating that race is the strong candidacy of N.B.A. Party Leader, Wil Maheia.

And finally in the Toledo West division, the P.U.P.’s incumbent Marcial Mes will face three challengers: U.D.P. candidate Juan Coy, the N.R.P.’s Fermin Choc, and Dionicio Choc of the N.B.A.

This brings the number of candidates so far to eighty-two, thirty-one each for the two major parties, eleven for the National Reform Party, six for Vision Inspired by the People, and three for the National Belizean Alliance, which is a coalition of the People’s National Party, We the People Reform Movement, and Christians Pursuing Reform. But with elections at most eight weeks away, the third parties are reporting that their slates are not complete as yet and they intend to name more candidates in the coming weeks. Guess we’ll have to wait until nomination day for the official names and numbers.

In a correction to last night’s story, N.R.P. standard bearer Derrick Stewart is running in Belize Rural North, not Belize Rural Central. Six P.U.P. incumbents have chosen to retire from the political scene and not seek re-election. They are Max Samuels in Belize Rural North, Florencio Marin Senior in Corozal South East, Dave Burgos in Orange Walk East, Ismael Cal in Orange Walk South, Ainslie Leslie in Cayo North and Sylvia Flores in Dangriga.