Email

Print

Both candidates are oddly similar: they're both political mavericks, outspoken and impolitic: Elrington has been pilloried for so many of his reckless public statement, while Smith made news when he called out his own party leader for his Fonseca name. But, that tendency to throw caution to the wind is where the similarities end. On the ground, their perceptions of the same very small division are as different as night and day. Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Incumbent Wilfred Elrington claims that his campaign trail started immediately after the 2012 elections when results showed that he won by less than a hundred votes. He's been providing residents of Pickstock with access to all the Government's pro poor programs. He believes that this has given him an edge.

Wilfred Elrington - Area Representative, Pickstock
"Particularly in Pickstock we have the whole poverty alleviation program which give us finances to do home building. Brand new homes for people, home repairs, we have social programs, sewing, cosmetology, things like culinary skills. We do landscaping. I was very fortunate, i was able to employ for almost 3 years as many as 40-50 single parents. We have the boosts program, we have the pantry program."

Not surprisingly, his opponent, Dr. Francis Smith, is of a very different opinion of the state of the residents in the constituency.

While Elrington relies on help from close friends and allies to reach the voters,

Smith has decided that a personal hands-on touch is necessary to elicit support for his candidacy. He says that despite the Government's huge resources, there are still many in in Pickstock who have been neglected.

Dr. Francis Smith, PUP Standard Bearer - Pickstock
"It is self-evident, you take a look around Pickstock - it's all around you. If there is ever a place to show why under this UDP administration we are looking at a failing state, it is this Pickstock area. So in all areas, in housing, it's a disaster. The homes are all terribly deteriorated. People are living in extremely bad conditions. In terms of infrastructure, you can look around and see that they are just starting to fix roads."

Dr. Smith also tells us that his medical training has caused some of the physical ailments of a few voters to become sort of a pet project of his.

Dr. Francis Smith, PUP Standard Bearer - Pickstock
"I have a child with down syndrome. I understand exactly what the parents are going through. So I know his dad Mr. Barrow, his mom and I know exactly what it takes to have a child like this. The equivalent is like you are having a new born child, a new born baby in arms. You have to feed, you have to take care of all his necessities. A child like this is a fellow human being and if we genuinely care, this is where we should be helping. And like this, this is only one. There are many other children in the Pickstock area that I can take you to and you will see it is a similar story."

So, what about the hits that Elrington has taken as Minister of Foreign Affairs? He and his opponents have very difficult views of how it will affect the voting.

Wilfred Elrington - Area Representative, Pickstock
"The Belize/Guatemala Sarstoon thing is rarely a pet issue, which a particular media house or media houses have latched on with a view to try to do me harm politically and they have done everything they could do. In fact they start by burning me in effigy some years ago. So they have gone to very many extremes."

Dr. Francis Smith, PUP Standard Bearer - Pickstock
"People are very much aware of the disaster he has been as foreign minister. Everybody is very aware that it has been constant appeasement for the Guatemalans."

Elrington is convinced that the 3 and a half years of work that he has done in the division will be the deciding factor in his favor.

Wilfred Elrington - Area Representative, Pickstock
"I am going to defeat my opponent roundly."