Orange Walk

It’s a place where people tend to take their politics seriously. News Five’s Karla Vernon reports from Orange Walk Town.

Karla Vernon, Reporting
The voter turnout was brisk at the four polling stations in Orange Walk Town today, slowing down only around the lunch hour. Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Briceno was outside the Louisiana Government School. He downplayed any partisan rivalry and said in the end, Orange Walk is one community.

Karla Vernon
?Were there any difficulties today? We heard a little radio report that some of the campaigners got a little overzealous and we?re trying to walk into polling stations.?

Johnny Briceno, Area Rep., Orange Walk Central
?Well has happened more in here, at this polling station at the Louisiana School, we had the opposition you know playing loud music right across the street and another person, one of them being a bit too aggressive, shouting in people?s faces and throwing them papers and I think some people were offended about it. But generally, we have a good time here. I mean between both sides, I mean we may have our differences, but at the end of the day it?s an election and tomorrow we continue again.?

While all the stations were well tended by both red and blue party supporters, the big prize was polling Area 60, now containing the largest percentage of Orange Walk?s eight thousand, three hundred and ninety-four registered voters since the redistricting. Both mayoral candidates were there greeting voters.

Ravell Gonzalez, UDP Mayoral Candidate
?Louisiana has predominantly been red from Elodio Aragon day and so it?s easier to convince a U.D.P. who voted P.U.P. last time to come back home to the U.D.P. instead of asking a stalwart P.U.P. to vote U.D.P. So our task in the Louisiana area has been easier.?

?We have a country that is extremely broke and yet certain political parties have a lot of money to spend. And it kinda brings up the question, you know, what are we talking about poverty and one particular party has the extreme wealth. So to go along with our issues, we decided not to print shirts because that would have cost us twenty-eight thousand dollars. And so we decided to use that money better for, if we could give scholarships to students. And we asked the people to humbly take out their, whatever red, whatever they had, red blouse, red shirt, red pants. It shows solidarity with the U.D.P.?

Netty Johnson, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate
?We have been asking women and encouraging them to vote, but more than that, we have been–I think we are telling them how women needs to come out, how they can help themselves, and they can be anything they want to be. And I think that is the most important message thing, the message that we can send to women. That?s what I?m running on, to tell women that you can be whatever you decide to be.?

?This area is one of the biggest, it?s called the East in the Louisiana area, you know, but it encompasses across by the Pasadita area and it has quite a bit of voters, so everybody is rallying this section here. But we have actually campaigned it two, three times and asked people for their support. And you know, they have given us their support and I see the people coming in and they greet us very friendly. And we?re confident that things are going to work out for the People?s United Party.?

Reporting for News Five, I am Karla Vernon.