Objection to Yolanda Schakron’s nomination
Nomination day for the March seventh general elections is this Friday. But will Yolanda Schakron make it on the ballot paper? There are last minute moves tonight to block her from running for general elections in Lake Independence. An objection to have her rejected this Friday is churning to crush her political ambitions. The government press office announced today that Lake I resident has filed an objection. The release reads: “a formal objection to the nomination of Miss Yolanda Schakron as a candidate for the Lake Independence Electoral Division has been delivered to the Returning Officer, Mrs. P. Noreen Fairweather, by an elector of the Lake Independence Electoral Division. The objection is based on the ground that Miss Schakron is disqualified from being nominated or elected as a member of the House of Representatives in view of section 58(1) of the constitution. It is alleged that Ms. Schakron is a citizen of the United States of America and carries a U.S. Passport which she renewed by her own act in July, 2002 when she was thirty six years of age. She has also publicly admitted that she is a US citizen.”
But can the returning officer decide to reject her nomination? We checked with three attorneys today and they concluded that the Representation of the People’s Act does not empower, Noreen Fairweather, as Returning Officer, to turn down a nomination on a constitutional matter because that is a matter to be determined by a court. There’s also the question of when a disqualification becomes valid. Is a person with dual citizenship disqualified on nomination day? Or is it on Election Day, March seventh? Even on March seventh, if she wins, Schakron is not yet a representative until she is sworn in along with other area representatives on a date to be set by the Governor General.
Yolanda Schakron
Not so long ago, the businesswoman was thrust into the spotlight following the murder of her nephew, Chris Galvez. The entrepreneur, parent and aunt shared the stinging blow of all grieving mothers of sons lost to gun violence. Schakron turned tragedy into a personal mission for justice, that is, Belizeans for Justice. She eventually began to flirt with the idea of public office and when brothers-in-law Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde stepped down at the proverbial eleventh hour; Schakron was called in to replace Hyde as the P.U.P. Lake Independence candidate. Considered a safe seat for the P.U.P., Schakron is now facing tremendous pressure before she gets to the poll on March seventh. Up to news time, the People’s United Party had not made any comment on this bombshell on the eve of nomination day. But this evening, Carols Diaz, a former P.U.P. minister for Lake I was putting up signs in the division; whether or not he has party support that is not known.
UDP are so scared little puppies of Ms. Schakron. they have committed a crime that deserves proper investigation of King Dean and big Mouth Joules. One may ask, where they got the passport copy?. Do they have to bow so low to achieve a political mileage? if they were confident about themselves that they have fulfill their promises, Ms. Schakron would not be threat for them.
The tradition of dirty, petty politics continues alive and well in the Jewel!
We need all the decent leaders we can find — Heaven knows we have had a severe shortage of them for the past few decades, and the shortage seems to get worse every year.
As I understand it, if she renounced her dual citizenship already, she should be eligible.
I don’t know whether I would vote for her if lived in her district, but I know she is passionate about a cause, and she hasn’t yet been tainted by corruption. How many other candidates can lay claim to either of those qualifications? You answer that for yourself.
But I think she should run, I want to hear what she has to say on the big issues, and if she wins, she should serve.
Taking her off the ballot actually denies the right to vote to her supporters — WHO GETS TO DENY A BELIZEAN THE RIGHT TO VOTE?
Barrow nuh have balls. Look at the time they have spend trying to bring a woman down. Zenaida was right. There many other things facing our country like CRIME which he cannot address. Yet he has time to be harassing a woman. What a BUNCH of UDP LOOSERS>
It is noted that the BARROW administration is lack of manly behavior. They acting like they want schakron shirt. They busy trying to bring this woman out of the race. May god prevail and may he path the way for her. Shame om the GOB. We have more important issues facing our country like CRIME that Barrow cannot address is over 4 yrs. The famous quote of the great Zenaida is true.. Mr Barrow, you nuh have B____lls
why is this coming as a GOB press release? how is this government business? it’s important news, but has NOTHING to do with government affairs.
I don’t think what you share here is true. It is our own men that put our women down, Shackron is just a victim of her own devise. Do not be blind by the passion of politics, that she is good and the ones opposing them are bad, if she is wrong, let her correct her mistake and come clean. If you were to believe that Zenaida was saying the truth, then everything that she said of her opponents is also true, then the PUP is doomed also. It is like believing chapters of the Bible only for your convenience.
Barrow after all, according to Zeniada do say wa he no got
This is public buisiness not Barrow and the UDP, we deh wid you Ms. Schakron, power to the people.
Mr. Barrow, Give it up! stop acting like a sore loser. The woman has started the process of renunciation. Stop acting like a little girl and act like a Prime Minister. U are making too much of an issue and the independent voters are getting sick and tired of your shows. We have not forgotten that u guys are the govt and all that u gave us in 4 years was higher crime and unemployment. with your incompetence and childish behavior u will never get re-elected! Reject Dean Barrow and the UDP!!!
Mr. Barrow, Give it up! stop acting like a sore loser. The woman has started the process of renunciation. Stop acting like a little girl and act like a Prime Minister. U are making too much of an issue and the independent voters are getting sick and tired of your shows. We have not forgotten that u guys are the govt and all that u gave us in 4 years was higher crime and unemployment. with your incompetence and childish behavior u will never get re-elected! Reject Dean Barrow and the UDP!!!!
This just shows how much this administration is afraid of a woman. Mrs, Shackron has started the renunciation process so just let her run for Lake I. But this just shows the incompetence of this administration. Vote them all out!!!
Where are our Belizean women to stand in solidarity with Mrs,Shackron.This struggle is not only about Shackron every woman in Belize will benefit from this fight sometime in the future.There is a need for more Belizean women to partake in the political arena.Let your voices be heard my sisters .
“Foriegn power or state”
Sounds like elected officials working for drug cartels are going to have a problem.
BT, the press office is UDP, that’s why it came from there.
What a SAD day for Belize. Barrow has gone too low. It is disgusting and nauseating to know the extent to which the dictators in the udp go to destroy a woman. A woman that is just and that can deliver good service to the people of lake I. All women should stand in solidarity with her and stage a massive demonstration against this move by Barrow. She has already started the process of renunciation, what else do they want? She has MORE BALLS than all the double standard men in the udp who have dual citizenship and are toooo coward and corrupt to admit it.. that includes Elvin Penner, Erwin Contreras, Gaspar Vega, Castro and Dean Barrow himself!!!
The Constitution of Belize does not state that a person cannot be nominated on nomination day if he/she holds dual citizenship. Chapter 4 Para 58 (1) states that “No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives who –
(a) is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or State;”
The Press Release issued by the GOB Press Office, certainly on the instructions of Mr Barrow, Come 7 March 2012, Election Day, she is automatically disqualified if her US Certificate of Renunciation has not been issued and signed. Let the woman run! Fair is fair!
& the dramas never done! Who cares???
I thought Belize was a democratic country,but it seem that they are not one.We Belizean should be proud that we can have dual citizenship and USA acknowledge that. Mrs. Shackron is still a Belizean,I would guest that that is the definition of dual citizenship.
and the rest is history, this will go down as the stupidest fight in politricks history, two udp’s were just caught. I think one is ligit the other is dual. You ll see and hear, i know for sure the udp will hide it as much as possible. if they win its under the rug while they punish ms shackron. this is why barrow must never win, and when he loses he must resign as leader and area rep.
Jules n Channel seven……GOD NUH LIKE UGLY. Nuh back down Yoli, we from Lake I GOT YUH BACK.
Barrow has stoop too low. He will go into the annals of history as one who employed the dirtiest of politics to save his political career that hangs on straw. Barrow has gone mad. It is a pity that the returning officer joins the ball court to play Barrow’s game. That is not healthy for democracy! That’s the area of the constitution that should change to prevent corruption. The elections and boundaries commission should be a totally independent body. Stooges like the returning officers, the chief election officer and registering officers in the districts should be screened and prevented to show bias and preferences for any political party.
Belize is going the wrong direction with Barrow. Barrow needs to go! Belizeans take heed before it’s too late to regret.
What a sad day for Belize. The Constitution is supreme and makes no mention of eligibility on nomination day. That judgment is wrong. The key word is “elected”. The next move will have to be an election petition to overturn the results of the election whatever that may be. Alternatively, after Martin Galvez wins, should he win by a comfortable margin, resign and have a bi-election to have Mrs. Shakron elected to the House. Of course this would only happen if PUP wins the next elec tions. Should UDP win, this may not be possible as the perception is that the Courts are strangled by the UDP as GOB.