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The Opposition Party's Mayoral Candidate, Jose Chacon, spoke with us this afternoon, and he told us that from his visits with the residents of Belmopan, they want to increase that number from 2 to an entire PUP slate of 7:

Jose Chacon - PUP Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan
"I have been contemplating this decision for many years now. My first experience to politics was when I was 20 years old. I was elected the chairperson for the community where I grew up in Las Flores. That's went of Belmopan and I've always been involved in my community since then, so it's something that I felt I had to do. I enjoy serving people."

Daniel Ortiz
"Talk to us about how nomination day went for you and your seven in the Garden City."

Jose Chacon - PUP Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan
"Nomination day was high spirits as you would expect. We had about 100 or more supporters with us. We were not trying to compete. We know we can't compete with resources with the other party, but we did what we can and our supporters came on their own, we didn't have to pay them or anything like that. Its genuine support that we have. We are feeling very good. We have many of the elders of Belmopan, some of the pioneers of the capital city - so I was very pleased to have been nominated by two of those pioneers of the City of Belmopan."

Daniel Ortiz
"You have a UDP mayor who is outgoing and you have a UDP councilor who is outgoing. Talk to us about the progress that they have made or lack thereof? You have been around speaking with the voters, the residents. What is the sentiments of the current UDP council?"

Jose Chacon - PUP Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan
"The people are frustrated. They have been disappointed. They have given this current council three terms which is equivalent to 9 years and after some 40 plus million dollars that have been collected in revenues, in taxes, not much has been done in our capital city. The basic services haven't been offered to our residents; the collection of garbage on a timely basis; the collection of debris and of course the infrastructure, which includes the upgrading and the maintenance of the streets and drains."

UDP's Khalid Belisle, who is running for Mayor against Chacon, also took the time out to speak with us. He told us about his vision:

Khalid Belisle - UDP Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan
"This is my hometown, it's where I was born, it's where I grew up - it's the only home I've ever really known. Instead of being a part of the peanut gallery and critiquing and commenting and criticizing from the outside, I have decided to offer myself for a term of service to the people of this community and because of the UDP leadership in particular in this party, because the work happening around the country and here in Belmopan as well is readily apparent for anyone to see."

Daniel Ortiz
"Talk to us about how nomination day went for the UDP 7 here in the Garden City?"

Khalid Belisle - UDP Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan
"It was great. We clearly had the strongest showing of support here in Belmopan. We pulled somewhere between 300-350 people of our supporters out. They came out readily. They came out willingly. There was absolutely no enticement for anyone to come out, to put on a shirt, to walk with us. They bare the 2pm sun hot yesterday here in Belmopan and they march with us to the civic center for nomination and back to our headquarters afterwards. It was heartwarming. It was very encouraging."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, your opponent says, that from him polling the streets, hitting the pavement, talking to the people, the sentiment according to him, it's his opinion, that the people somewhat feel disappointed. They've given Mayor Simeon Lopez and his council 3 terms - 9 years and they haven't seen much for the time that he has spent in elected office."

Khalid Belisle - UDP Mayoral Candidate, Belmopan
"Well, yes it's true. We would have may be hope and certainly Mayor Lopez would have hope that he would have been able to accomplish more. He faced certain constraints when he first enter the office in 2006 and of course with a hostile central government, we've had the UDP government in place now for the past 6 years and when the government came into power here in Belmopan, they encountered the mess that was left behind and so over the past 2-3 years now that central government has managed to put the financial house of our country in order - of course we started to see the tremendous amount of works happening countrywide/citywide."