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Cayo Politics Contentious
posted (November 3, 2015)
Right now there are tents, banners, posters and flags set up near all the polling and counting areas in the country. For the different political camps, these are the final details in the election preparation process - the day is finally here. Now it's just to bring the voters out tomorrow and wave those red or blue flags until the results come out right ? Well, not necessarily, for a few divisions these same posters and flags are creating serious tensions between the PUP and UDP camp in Cayo. Omar Figueroa's UDP camp took up all the space on both sides of the road in front of CET, leaving no room for the PUP camp to set up their flags. Well, police had to be called out to try and defuse the situation yesterday. Today Inspector Reyes told us more about it.

Insp. Reymundo Reyes, Deputy OC, San Ignacio Police
"What we are facing at CET is that after the 100 yards, it is the campaign managers of both political parties that should reach an agreement as to which side of the road they would like to use to place their tents, banners and so forth. But what we saw yesterday is that from the beginning of Victor Galvez Stadium up to the side where the 100 yards mark was, the red, blue and white banner was placed on the whole side of the street. On the other side where the Mormon's church is, likewise. Giving no space to the other political party to place their political signs and so forth. We are trying to negotiate from yesterday with both camps. For one of them to decide which side of the road they would like to use. I believe that it is right to use one and allow the other party to use the other side, because it is both political parties that are campaigning. But we are getting resistance from the United Democratic Party camp. Once the 100 yards is marked, that space is free for anybody, but as a gesture of maturity and so forth, we are asking that let us consider the other party. You already your signs on one side. To avoid conflict. It would be the campaigners who would ignite things, because they are the ones who placed these items and they are the ones who are refusing to move it."

And that is only one area, there is a similar issue in Cayo Northeast between PUP's Orlando Habet's camp and UDP's John August's camp. Reyes explained.

Insp. Reymundo Reyes
"We might also be facing one at Sacred Heart, where the People's United Party has removed the banners within the 100 yards, but the United Democratic Party camp has not removed theirs and it appears that they do not intend to move theirs. So the People's United Party camp is saying now, if they do not remove theirs, we will put ours. So the police has been called, but the returning officer is trying to negotiate with both camps. Let us work and let us remove all signs as agreed when we had our meetings prior to this election."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So the rule is no political signs, no banners. No nothing can within that 100 yards?"

Insp. Reymundo Reyes
"None at all."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So that's the situation at Sacred Heart, signs are within that 100 yards line."

Insp. Reymundo Reyes
"That is the problem right now. So we will be looking into that and see if we could assist also in trying to resolve the situation before it get out of hand."

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