Six more P.U.P. standard bearers selected

Six more standard bearers for the next general election have been selected by the People’s United Party. In Cayo Northeast former San Ignacio Mayor Orlando Habet defeated Luis Lisbey by a vote count of four hundred eighty-one to one hundred seventeen. In Corozal Southwest 2003 standard bearer Dr. Greg Garcia beat back a challenge from Ramiro Ramirez, seven hundred fifty-two to four hundred eighty-seven. Four newcomers battled for the right to succeed the retiring Max Samuels in Belize Rural North. When all the votes were counted Earl Perez stood atop the pile with five hundred fifty-six votes. He was followed by Merickston Nicholson with three hundred thirteen, Dwight Gillet with three hundred eleven and Amador Pott with one hundred twenty-four. Three other P.U.P. candidates went unchallenged in endorsement conventions over the weekend. They are Valdemar Castillo in Corozal North, Servulo Baeza in Orange Walk North and Carolyn Trench Sandiford in Belize City’s Collet constituency. The last three P.U.P. conventions will be held this Sunday, when Anthony Sylvestre and Sydney Fuller face off in Queen Square, incumbent Vildo Marin braces for the challenge of Freddy Ewens in Corozal Bay and Kendall Mendez and Armando Chulin square off in Cayo West. The general election is expected to take place in March 2008, although theoretically it could be called by the ruling P.U.P. any time between next month and June 2008.