And so tomorrow March 7th is the Municipal election. It's long anticipated and debated, but really the hype exceeds the event. Really, it's just a local election, which may shift the balance of power - but it cannot overturn that balance. Jules Vasquez looked at what's up for grabs:...
Jules Vasquez reporting
Tomorrow, 114,574 voters in 9 towns and cities countrywide will get 11 hours to choose which of these 158 candidates, 134 from the main mass parties, 24 independents they want to leade their municipalities.
They will do so at 51 polling areas and 215 polling stations from PG to Corozal Town.
In the last election in 2015, 59% of the voting population came out countrywide - the greatest percentage in Orange Walk Town, and the lowest percentage in Belize City.
The majority of them voted for the UDP candidates to fill 62 of 67 municipal seats. Giving the UDP full control of 8 of 9 municipalities.
All of which it has been winning since 2006 - during which time the PUP has lost four municipal elections. A historic losing streak which party leader John Briceno is under pressure to break - and he kept his optimism cautious:
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Right now we have 1. We control one municipality and that's Orange Walk Town and even there where we have the mayor and we have 4 councilors. So if we win one more we have increase by 100% and that could be considered big. We believe that we are going to do well in the next municipal elections."
Reporter
"You control 62 of 67 seats right now. If you had to at this point take a heat check and make a prediction, how many will you control on March 8?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"The vast majority, very much the vast majority."
And you can see it all tomorrow here on Channel 7 and KREM TV, or listen on KREM Radio. Coverage begins at 6:00 am from Partridge Street with myself, Jules Vasquez and Mose Hyde starting one hour before polls open at 7:00. We have two dozen correspondents in the field - so you'll be seeing everything here on Channel 7. So, make sure to join us tomorrow morning at 6:00.
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