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At the top of the newscast, we took you inside the most hotly contested wide open convention in recent political history. But after the 6,615 voters drifted away, party stalwarts were left to count the votes. In multi-candidate elections, it is always tedious – but when there are 34 candidates, it is even more so. We stuck it out, and here’s how it went.

Jules Vasquez Reporting,
While the thick crowds and competitive intensity fuel the voting process, counting is neither glamorous nor exciting, and it’s not much fun either – particularly after 6,615 people in 10 divisions have voted for any 11 of 36 candidates. And as signalled by this spontaneous celebration when she went to meet her supporters from early on, the voting trend was apparent.

[Moya’s name being called at different counting tables.]

Hon. Edmund Castro,
“I told her congratulations, she’ll be Mayor again.”

Zenaida Moya, Mayoral Candidate
“It looks good, it looks very very good.”

Jules Vasquez,
You took a pounding in the past week. I am not saying you were pounded but they tried to put a pounding on you and you’ve emerged, it is early but it appears, you’ve emerged unscathed. Are you political indestructible?

Zenaida Moya,
“You know at the end of the day this may sound like it is just a cliché but I’ve cast my cares onto the Lord and I have placed everything in his hands.”

Jules Vasquez,
Do you have any designs on leadership of the UDP some day?

Zenaida Moya,
“Anything is possible Jules, anything is possible.”

Jules Vasquez,
People felt that you were being taken advantage of by a party to which you’ve been loyal. Do you feel that aggressive anti-Moya tactic by some people in the UDP backfired in and fact bolstered support for you?

Zenaida Moya,
“There could be some truth to that and I think people, you see when you’re consistent, you’re consistently there with the people, you’re there consistently working with the people in different areas and people see that, of course it is like when they are hurting or hitting your friend, you will feel why are they coming after him or her.”

Jules Vasquez,
After the slings and arrows you endured from within your own party, are you still a UDP heart and soul?

Zenaida Moya,
“Yes I am. I am still here and I am hoping for the results to be finalized and I am looking forward to leading the UDP to victory come Wednesday March 4th 2009.”

Wayne Usher, Candidate for Councillor
“I am overwhelmed Jules, pure and simply overwhelmed by today’s turnout. It was so massive and stunningly so that we ran out of ballots. That says something right there. The people came out despite the weather, and you know Belize people don’t come out in rain, but somehow this convention meant so much to so many people because so much was at stake and part of all of this is their way of showing that it is the people who have the power out there Jules. Let those who had any doubt after tonight – get the sense of what is happening here and harness it and let us move this party forward. We have a municipal election coming on in March of next year so we must take that and move forward. Unity is what is called for now, not divisions.”

Jules Vasquez,
At this point it appears from what we’ve heard from inside that Mayor Moya will go on to claim the candidacy as Mayor again. You’re the only councillor who stayed the course with her. Do you feel gratified in that judgment knowing that you were isolated for so many months being the only one who stuck with her?

Wayne Usher,
“I have a sense of satisfaction that once again my inner most feelings and thoughts have proven me right.”

That interview was conducted at 9:00 pm and 11 hours later at 8:00 this morning, Wayne Usher was still scrutinizing the counting. It was the last of the boxes including Mesopotamia as that division’s commander in chief Michael Finnegan coolly watched on knowing that his division would turn a victory into a landslide for his candidate Zenaida Moya.

Hon. Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia Area Rep.
“Jules it is normal thing for Mesopotamia division that we just work hard and this was a party convention, an internal thing, and I don’t gloat over that. What we need to do now is to bring the party together and heal it and get ready for March for victory for the UDP.”

Jules Vasquez,
Now Mr. Finnegan a win is a win and for those who supported Zenaida Moya it is a particularly gratifying win because the party’s institutional base basically opposed the Zenaida Moya candidacy and supported Michael. It has to be, man you’re a politician, you have to want to big up your chest.

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I don’t know if the party’s institutional wing didn’t support Ms. Moya, I don’t know about that. I know there were internal wrangling for the convention and the convention is over and we must be magnanimous and we must move on.”

Moving on may not be that easy for Moya who was besieged with inter-party attacks.

Jules Vasquez,
Mayor it has been a long and taxing road from there to here. Last week was one of your most trying weeks, you almost cried on TV, how does it feel now looking back at it all? At one point you said you felt it wasn’t even worth it. How do you feel now?

Zenaida Moya,
“Going through that it is always difficult but as I mentioned, I'm powered by the people.”

Jules Vasquez,
But Mayor something had to happen in the minds of the voters. Many of them went against the wishes of their area representatives or the political officers in those areas and even though they had been asked to support Anthony Michael they came against all intuition and supported you. What do you think happened in the minds of the voters who did that?

Zenaida Moya,
“I think there are different things. One, consistency - I believe the people are used to me. I’ve been there with them even before being Mayor, I’ve been there with them fighting the good fight with them. I’ve been there championing the causes that are in their interest.”

Jules Vasquez,
How will you now settle the differences with those who are still in your council and those on the old slate such as Laura Esquivel who have won nomination here in this convention?

Zenaida Moya,
“Again we will have to sit down. As long as these people are willing to work, then I am here. I am a professional at the end of the day and I am somebody that can sit down with anybody. So I am here and I am willing to sit down and try to work out whatever differences we may have.”

And while Moya looked ahead, the councillor candidates looked on edgily as counting was finishing this morning. They hoped that the last few votes could put them over the top and earn them a space on the March Citco slate. And it was unto the final tally – done by no less than the Minister of Education on computer, the Junior Minister of Works dictating, and the Party Chairman on a cell phone calculator.

When all the tabulations were finished at 9:00 am, the Mayor led a victory motorcade through the city streets – which – in an act of true triumphalism went out of the way - all the way into Belama Phase 1 to make a special drive pass in front of Anthony Michael’s home, taking a special stop directly in front of his house where they let off with cheering and horn honking.