Will general elections be called early?

Dean Barrow

When will elections be called? There’s a guessing game that the next General Elections will be early and that Belizeans will be going to the polls long before the term of government expires in 2013. While the precise date of the big dance is always a surprise, the Prime Minister gave somewhat of an indication today, saying that his administration will not wait until the eleventh hour to convene General Elections.  Instead, he says he intends to use the approaching municipal elections as a litmus test to get a feel for voters’ response to another UDP term in office but don’t hold him to it.

Dean Barrow

“I don’t expect to wait until the last moment.  I certainly feel that the stars are in the right alignment for us to think in terms of an election next year, certainly not 2013 but when next year is altogether a different matter.  As of now, as of now the inclination certainly is to have the Municipal Elections which will provide a kind of test to tell the government where things really stand and then depending on those elections to call the General Elections either a little sooner than would normally be expected or a little later in the year, still thinking though that ultimately I wouldn’t want to wait until 2013 which really takes you up to the sort of eleventh hour.  I feel that if the government is confident enough that people are prepared to give it a new mandate it should not wait until the end.  That gives an impression that you’re hanging on, that you’re not sure that you’re going to be re-elected and you’re trying to milk things for whatever they’re worth so I will go as far as to say that in my view as of now certainly elections next year more towards the second half of the year but of course in politics everything is timing.  I’ve asked that nobody holds me to that because I will have to assess things on a moment to moment basis and then make a final determination.”