Belize legislative election, 1979
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Belize
on 21 November 1979. The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party
, which won 13 of the 18 seats. Voter turnout was 89.9%.
. The opposition United Democratic Party
were not in favour of advancing on the former issue without a substantial settlement of the latter, and this led the PUP to turn the election into a sort of referendum on that question. By their turnout (a record high) and their support for the PUP, Belizeans made clear their preferences and set in motion the chain of events that would lead to independence in 1981.
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
on 21 November 1979. The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party
People's United Party
The People's United Party is one of two major political parties in Belize, and currently the main opposition party. It is a Christian Democratic party; the current Party Leader is Francis Fonseca....
, which won 13 of the 18 seats. Voter turnout was 89.9%.
Background
In 1979, Belizeans were concerned about their progress toward independence and the Guatemalan claim to the colonyGuatemalan claim to Belizean territory
The Belizean-Guatemalan territorial dispute is an unresolved binational territorial dispute between the states of Belize and Guatemala, neighbours in Central America...
. The opposition United Democratic Party
United Democratic Party (Belize)
The United Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in Belize, and currently the ruling party, having won the 2008 general elections. A centre-right conservative party, it is currently led by Dean Barrow.-Founding:...
were not in favour of advancing on the former issue without a substantial settlement of the latter, and this led the PUP to turn the election into a sort of referendum on that question. By their turnout (a record high) and their support for the PUP, Belizeans made clear their preferences and set in motion the chain of events that would lead to independence in 1981.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's United Party People's United Party The People's United Party is one of two major political parties in Belize, and currently the main opposition party. It is a Christian Democratic party; the current Party Leader is Francis Fonseca.... |
23,309 | 52.4 | 13 | |
| United Democratic Party United Democratic Party (Belize) The United Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in Belize, and currently the ruling party, having won the 2008 general elections. A centre-right conservative party, it is currently led by Dean Barrow.-Founding:... |
21,045 | 47.4 | 5 | |
| Toledo Progressive Party Toledo Progressive Party The Toledo Progressive Party was a minor political party in Belize. It contested the 1979 elections, but received just 96 votes and failed to win a seat. It did not contest any further elections.... |
96 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Invalid/blank votes | 521 | |||
| Total | 44,971 | 100 | 18 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen | ||||