7 News Belize

UDP And PUP Showed Off In Capital
posted (February 21, 2018)
At the top of the news we showed you all the action and hype of nomination day in Belize City - and in our middle segment we showed you how it went in the north. Well our Courtney Weatherburne and Codie Noralez were out west and they bring the highlights for both the UDP and PUP nominations in Belmopan and Cayo. We start off in Belmopan where neither party had overwhelming numbers but both teams were optimistic. Here's that story.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
This morning, the PUP team moved off well before 10:00 from their Oriole Street office in Belmopan, they marched down to the Civic center with raised flags - the blue and white blending into the clear sky...

Change: that's this PUP slate's main campaign message. And when the small crowd of supporters finally assembled at the Civic to witness the official signing - the candidates reflected on all the change they believe they can bring this time around.

Tanya Santos, PUP Mayoral Candidate
"From what we've been hearing out in the public on the campaign trail is that the people are getting tired of all the corruption and it hasn't been absent from Belmopan. We've seen it, we've known what's happening, all the street works, we don't know the contract processes that have happened. There's a lot that the people are tired of, they said they've been abandoned, a lot of the communities have been abandoned. They don't see their representative; they don't see the city council the way they expected to. They want new leadership."

Reporter
"What does your nomination mean for more women involved in politics? That is a very important issue that we all keep talking about."

Tanya Santos, PUP Mayoral Candidate
"What I hope it means is if I can do it, I Tanya Santos, anybody can do it. All it takes is the will inside and the desire for the betterment of your community and your country to step up and offer yourself. You will get the support, Belizean people want change, honesty and leadership. I hope the women feel encouraged to step up and take their place in governance in this country."

Reporter
"Do you think you guys could have gotten more support in terms of numbers?"

Cesar Ross, PUP Councilor Candidate
"It's always possible to get more numbers. It's a weekday, I know that central doesn't come out how it is. The peripheries have come out in large numbers, yes we would have wanted to see more but I think the momentum is there. I think this is the change of times as such. I think the PUP is coming back with a vengeance."

Reporter
"I know it's difficult in Belmopan too. I know this is one sure seat for UDP."

Cesar Ross
"Yes they are very entrenched here I know but we'll be surprised when they come out in numbers and tell this current administration that they're tired and it's time for a change."

Of course, Khalid Belisle and his UDP team certainly don't believe Belmopan needs a change at all. While his crowd in the afternoon wasn't an overwhelming show, he was quite pleased with the turnout and confident of the win on March 7th.

Khalid Belisle, UDP Mayor
"I am humble by the turn out and the support of the people of this city who continue to be, outside of transportation we have spent not a dollar in bringing people out. No one can say we paid to bring out a crowd, this isn't any 'rent a crowd', this is genuine support from the people of the city and I am so humbled by it. We're at 4 terms running and I am planning to make it a 5th, we have just served the people to the best of our ability. It's out there for them to see, feel and experience on a daily basis around Belmopan. There can be no doubt on where the tax dollars are going, they're benefiting from it tremendously."

Hon. John Saldivar, Area Representative, Belmopan
"We see the crowd, the support tells us that we maintain our support here in Belmopan and we expect that this will follow through for election day so that Khalid and his team, and UDP will be victorious here in Belmopan."

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