Next week Monday is nomination day for the Dangriga Constituency when Anthony Sabal will be formally entered in the by-election as the PUP's candidate. Frank "Pawpa" Mena will be on the other side of the political divide as the UDP candidate.

He has been UDP's standard bearer for a year longer, and so, it is perceived that he has an edge over Sabal, who was named as the Opposition's replacement for Ivan Ramos one month ago.

Last night, Mena was in Belize City, and we asked him about the sudden opportunity he's being presented with to possibly be elected to the House of Representatives:

Frank "Pawpa" Mena – UDP Standard Bearer, Dangriga

"I have a committee who's working very diligently and getting things together. So the nomination is on Monday and we're already doing the ground work, the invitations - telling everybody to come out. We start our march to nomination from in front of Ms. Hortence's house at the corner at St. Vincent and we mark to the town hall and after that there is a big rally at the central plaza. We continue with the campaign and consultation is various neighbourhoods and so on. Because of the time constraints we cannot cover so much ground so we're trying to generalise Northside, Southside and the two villages. Then we move forward to election. We're prepared, I mean our machinery worked well in the town council, it's similar machinery. We've tweaked a number of things that didn't work out well for us in the past election and I think we're good.

As we've been reporting, the PUP decided last minute that they will participate in the By-Election, but they were seriously considering boycotting and staying out. That's because they have limited financial resources? Well, what about "Pawpa" Mena? It is expected that the UDP Government will roll out all their resources to get him elected in the Dangriga Constituency, and so, there is the perception that Petro bucks will play significantly into the outcome. When we asked Mena last night about effect of Petrocaribe spending, he said, he wasn't so sure about that having a big effect on the outcome. According to him, he's been running a campaign on very limited finances. It's just that he's been working longer to gain the confidence of the Dangriga Voters:

Frank "Pawpa" Mena – UDP Standard Bearer, Dangriga

'"I run different programmes, I get involved in anything that is out of Dangriga I support because I realise that we have the resources and so I am a support - I may be able to get a little from there because I know somebody look out from here and there but I keep on supporting what comes out of Dangriga, especially in terms of sports and especially in terms of education and so on. I'm a local boy make myself like that, I work but you can access me."

Daniel Ortiz

"Are you expecting to have a sweeping decisive victory?"

Frank "Pawpa" Mena

"Definitely, I am putting in the work and you can't plant corn if it's peas you want reap. So I am putting in the work and I expect to win comfortably."

Daniel Ortiz

"There's the perception that because you have the backing of the prime minister? You also have the backing of the petrocaribe funds and the perception is that - oh, the UDP will come and spend big in Griga to get you elected. When I elect Mr. Pawpa, I could access to money as well."

Frank "Pawpa" Mena

"But access to - Dangriga deserves it, like any part of the country that is getting it, Dangriga deserves it. So I have no apology for when Griga get because every where get and every where celebrate. Why Griga can't celebrate? But when those question they put brother, it sounds like people are getting hands; hold ya, here is petrocaribe money. Petrocaribe money is spending in Griga to get work done so my people work and they defend their pikney and they don't have to bow, beg and borrow from nobody. They could defend themselves. I don't have no apologies in terms of Dangriga get petrocaribe money. Roll it! We deserve it like anybody else."

Daniel Ortiz

"There's this current issue within the PUP which it appears they don't have any funding or they have limited funding. And so, you with the backing of the UDP - you have a lot of resources at your disposal. How much of that will play into your running up to this elections?"

Frank "Pawpa" Mena

"I'm not sure the lot of resources at my disposal my brother. I'm not really sure, right now it's rake and scrape. As a matter of fact, I just got some donations from some friends for raffle. I no try put my hat too high. I know I don't have money, I am not depending on anybody. If it comes, we will deal with it but I get donations like things to raffle. Somebody say, boy I could give you some shirts, I could give you that and that. I've always been good to people and now I am seeing that it's getting reciprocated. They money come in, if you have some change to spend in the beautiful Griga, come and spend it brother."

Mena is a former Mayor of Dangriga, and he's also a former UDP Senator.