On Sunday in Belmopan, close to three thousand delegates will decide who will be the next leader of the PUP. The campaign teams for current leader Francis Fonseca, Former Leader John Briceno, and former Deputy Leader Cordel Hyde have been on intensive national campaigns for the past four weeks. We say intensive because they had 30 days to visit these thousands of delegates in 31 constituencies, and in quite a few constituencies that meant finding the delegates. That's because in some constituencies where the candidates or chairmen have pledged support to either one of the candidates - they offer no help in finding the delegates, so the candidates literally have to search them out which can take days. It's a time consuming and taxing pursuit - but all part of the campaign process for a leadership convention which will be the most inclusive in Belize's political history. It is also the first three way race.
Voting at Belmopan comprehensive begins at 9:00 am, where delegates will cast their ballots in 5 polling stations within the school. Polling ends at 3:00 pm, and counting will start immediately after.
Results are expected before nightfall.
And while the PUP is going through the drama of a contested convention, there will be no such thing for the UDP. Today at 5:00 pm was the deadline for the names of those who want to offer themselves for an executive post at the National Convention in March. But, no new names were submitted, meaning that there will be no challenges for the post of party leader, first deputy, second deputy, chairman and vice chairman. So, the status quo is preserved, even though Mark King had suggested he would challenge the chairman, in the end, he never did submit his name….
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