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BPP Goes Humble But Heartfelt For Municipals
posted (February 6, 2018)
As we told you earlier in the news, Wednesday February 21st is nomination day for the municipal elections. For the major mass parties - it's a day to test who can mobilize the crowds. But you won't see the third party, the BPP there showing off with any big crowds. That's because they're not about that big money politics. Today at a press conference to launch their municipal campaign, the party told the media why they are fielding only 18 candidates in 5 towns and cities:

Patrick Rogers Leader - BPP
"More than half the people registered in these constituencies do not reside at the elections and boundaries address on record. So, when you talk about canvassing to do a campaign, you will find that it's an exercise in futility because the elections cannot be free if they are not fair and giving an alternative part to that, that don't have money to hand out an election day, only a message to try and reach the people before the election day. A list that is compromised is a waste of time."

Jules Vasquez reporting
But, a waste of time the BPP will have to deal with if they want to establish themselves as relevant:

Patrick Rogers Leader - BPP
"We will be contesting every election because we need to build our brand. We need that 3, 4, 5-year-old kid who may not be fully conscious as yet but getting there to see the green on the ballot. We want them in a 20-year time to be seeing the green constantly on the ballot."

But they won't be seeing as much green as they will red and blue - and that is because of a shortage of candidates:

Patrick Rogers Leader - BPP
"So yes, we would have loved to have had 67 candidates today. Every election bell that rings will be looking to have 100 percent candidacy contesting those elections, but we can only delivery what we can deliver at this point in time because the baby is only 3 years old but we are growing and we are growing fast."

"Although we weren't successful in finding candidates in all 9 municipalities countrywide, we were only able to cover five out of 9 municipalities."

Today, three of the Mayoral candidates made their pitch:

Paco Smith BPP Mayoral Candidate - BZC
"And I shall ask you kindly vote green down the line and I'm not talking about the split ballot because when you look at the numbers in terms of splitting the ballot, it works against us. We will take split ballots of course but because the configuration it's the totality of numbers."

Charles Leslie BPP Mayoral Candidate - BMP
"36 years and we have been listening to the PUP and the UDP argue about put holes and the who stole from us the most. Really? Are we really going to consider these people on March 7th?"

Rudy Wade BPP Mayoral Candidate - SI/SE
"We just tired of that two party system so I for instance am stepping out of that box and like I said I'm am appealing to the public out there to step out of that box and support us and hopefully those people who are feeling the pressure and feel the pain just step out of that box and support us."

Reporter
"Are these candidacy mostly symbolic?"

Paco Smith BPP Mayoral Candidate - BZC
"Specifically, I would so categorically, no. It's not symbolic because number 1 we wouldn't be involved in this process if we didn't believe it was necessary not necessary from the stand point of it being symbolic but also because we believe that at a certain point Belizeans will embrace a change. So, it's not purely symbolic. We are in it to win, trust me and if we are in it for just symbolic purposes it would be a waste of time. So, it's not symbolic not at all."

And to make it real, the BPP is doing grassroots fundraising:

Patrick Rogers Leader - BPP
"So, we're making an appeal for those who can to drop something in the little kitty so that our candidates are brave enough to stand up and do the walking have a little grease for the wheel to go around."

They say it is a for a worthwhile cause:

Patrick Rogers Leader - BPP
"Our philosophy and ideology of social democracy as the way we want to take this country, we need to remove it from the grasp of capitalism. We need to take it to a decentralized model."

The BPP will be fielding a full slate in Punta Gorda, a mayor plus four councillors in Belize City, a mayor plus three councillors in Belmopan, and mayoral candidates in San Ignacio and Benque Viejo.

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