Belize municipal election, 2006
Encyclopedia
Belize municipal elections, 2006 were a series of local elections held on March 1, 2006 to fill vacancies for town councils in Corozal
, Orange Walk
, San Pedro
, San Ignacio, Benque Viejo
, Dangriga
, Punta Gorda
, Belize City
and Belmopan
. All the councils except Belize City elected one mayor and six councillors; Belize City elected one mayor and ten councillors.
Sixty seven seats were available, contested by 153 persons representing four political parties. There were four independent candidates, not counting the entrants from the independent political parties VIP and WTP. The United Democratic Party
(UDP) won sixty four seats, the People's United Party
(PUP) three, and all other parties and independents none.
This was the second straight combined municipal election, following the one conducted in 2003.
Previous to this date, elections were within a year to eighteen months of each other. Future elections will also likely be held together, starting with the 2009 election.
for most of 2005 over the conditions of the country and the seeming ignorance of the ruling People's United Party toward these conditions. Toward the end of 2005 the PUP and the Opposition UDP turned their attention to preparing for the municipal elections in 2006.
doubling up her three male competitors, Bernard Watler, Rudolph “Sir Andie” Anderson, and Ernesto Torres in the mayoral race, and a field of 22 councillor candidates being narrowed to ten, those ten being: Laura Esquivel, Hyacinth Latchman, Leila Peyrefitte, Anthony Michael, Phillip Willoughby, Dean Samuels, Mark King, Calvert Quilter, Gilroy Middleton, and Wayne Usher. (Channel 5, October 24) Moya possessed a strong resume and support from various sectors of society which pushed her over the top. The UDP subsequently selected candidates for the other councils between mid-November 2005 and February 2006. One convention of note happened in Benque Viejo
, where sitting Mayor Said Badi Guerra was unseated in conventions in December in favour of former Mayor Marconi Sosa. (Channel 5, December 12) Another incident came on February 10, when Dangriga
mayoral nominee Frank Mena was injured in a freak accident and confined to his hospital bed through election day. Mena was nominated on and won election from his hospital bed for the UDP.
The UDP released its manifesto for Belize City and the other municipalities on January 4, 2006. Its adopted slogan was "Life Haad Out Ya! Vote UDP 7/11 for Change Now!"
One humorous incident occurred featuring campaigners from the ruling party. News 5 reported on February 13 that a house on Sarstoon Street collapsed while the owner was visited by the PUP 11, their campaign team and even Prime Minister Said Musa
. No one was hurt and the owner would get a new house on the site-as soon as the old one was knocked down.
Independent candidates contesting the elections, from north to south, included:
. Leslie met repeatedly with media houses and political parties to make plans for the conduct of the elections and assure that voting rights would not be violated. This was Leslie's first (and only) supervisory role in an election since he assumed the post from Myrtle Palacio midway through 2005.
Local news powerhouses Channel 5
and Channel 7
teamed up with, respectively, LOVE FM
/RSV Media Center
and KREM Radio/Television
to provide coverage of the actual election day. Channel 5/LOVE FM used Channel 5's Regent Street studios while Channel 7/KREM operated from Albert Street.
Election stories appeared in nearly every weekly newspaper from October to March.
The UDP sought to present the PUP as heartless, corrupt, greedy and incapable of responsibility. In the case of Belize City, which the UDP had not won for over twenty years, mayoral candidate Nunez was presented as symbolizing the problems of the City and the PUP's supposed incompetence, with opponent Moya portrayed as the solution. UDP commercials typically featured poor conditions, frustrated City residents and smug PUP officials, accompanied by songs of protest, most notably Tanya Stephens
' "Turn the Other Cheek". The Jamaica
n artist made an appearance in Belize in February for a concert and was interviewed on WAVE Radio
but did not expressly support the UDP.
The PUP, for their part, claimed Moya and her crew were political unknowns, not ready for the responsibilities of city management. Their commercials featured singers chanting "We noh wan Zenaida/Vote for Marshall", trumpeting Nunez's experience. Another set of commercials featured Belizean entertainers making pitches to voters to support the PUP, who would be "there for you." The UDP countered this by changing the slogan to "There for Who?" and proceeded to name who the PUP were supposedly there for: their own political operatives and supporters.
Commercials and advertisements by both parties frequently took up TV time in the evenings and could be recognised by the preceding and ending phrase: "The following/preceding is/was a paid political announcement." Nothing escaped scrutiny; even the Party Leaders were vilified.
Official organ of the PUP, The Belize Times
, even printed a rumour that UDP Leader Dean Barrow
had resigned-one day before elections. This rumour was promptly quashed by Barrow on local TV newscasts prior to the election. Barrow had suggested he might step down from his post a few weeks earlier if the election's outcome were not favorable.
Attention was paid to the unusually high number of women participating in the elections. This was interpreted as a sign that Belizean women were beginning to step forward and take a more active role in politics.
The most surprising results came in Punta Gorda, where 5 UDP candidates were elected but not Mayoral nominee Charles Selgado; and in Benque Viejo, where the PUP's Armando Chulin sneaked on to the council by 17 votes. In the Amandala
of Sunday March 5, 2006, publisher Evan X Hyde
claimed the Punta Gorda result showed the maturity of Belizean voters in selecting a bipartisan council.
A total of nineteen women were elected, easily the highest such total ever. At least one woman was elected in each municipality except for Punta Gorda, where no women were nominated.
The UDP controlled all municipal boards for the first time ever (they previously came close in 1994 by winning all the municipalities after losing Belize City in 1993) and regained Belize City for the first time since 1986. Zenaida Moya became Belize City's first female Mayor and one of two female mayors in Belizean municipalities (joining the reelected Elsa Paz in San Pedro). The Amandala termed the victory a "blowout" while the Reporter called it a "landslide".
cameraman Alfonso Noble and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Eastern Division, Crispin Jeffries got into a tangle when Noble and other media personnel would not leave the counting station immediately. As Noble was being forcibly removed, Jeffries was heard to threaten Noble with future harm if they ever met again. This incident eventually faded.
Media across the nation began speculating whether the vote was not an indication of dissatisfaction with the PUP administration; most seemed to think it was. Most political analysts credited the UDP with smart selection, timely deduction and ruthless campaigning, whereas the PUP did not seem to put their all into the campaign, perhaps wiped out from the protests the previous year
.
Most of the new administrations found irregularities in accounts when they got into office; in Belize City, the Council was set back BZ$9 million in debts and loans, and outgoing Mayor David Fonseca was fingered for having misappropriated monies controlled by the Council, though he claimed it was used to assist the poor.
Author Stephen Okeke has recently published a book called The Psychology of Belize Politics, that attempts to explain the mechanics behind the UDP's victory at the polls.
Corozal
Corozal may mean:* Corozal American Cemetery and Memorial, Panama City, Panama* Corozal District, Belize* Corozal Town, Belize, capital of the district* Corozal, Puerto Rico* Corozal, Sucre, a city of Colombia...
, Orange Walk
Orange walk
Orange walks are a series of parades held annually by members of the Orange Order during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth...
, San Pedro
San Pedro Town
San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the...
, San Ignacio, Benque Viejo
Benque Viejo del Carmen
Benque Viejo del Carmen is a town in the Cayo District in the country of Belize.-History:The town was established in the 19th century, mostly by immigrants from Guatemala. During the first years of the 21st century, the town experienced a rapid boom in population...
, Dangriga
Dangriga
Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of Stann Creek. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District and also the largest town in southern Belize...
, Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda, Belize
Punta Gorda, known locally as PG, is the town of the Toledo District in southern Belize. Punta Gorda is the southernmost sizable town in the nation, with a population of about 6,000 people...
, Belize City
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...
and Belmopan
Belmopan
Belmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
. All the councils except Belize City elected one mayor and six councillors; Belize City elected one mayor and ten councillors.
Sixty seven seats were available, contested by 153 persons representing four political parties. There were four independent candidates, not counting the entrants from the independent political parties VIP and WTP. The 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:...
(UDP) won sixty four seats, the 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....
(PUP) three, and all other parties and independents none.
This was the second straight combined municipal election, following the one conducted in 2003.
Previous to this date, elections were within a year to eighteen months of each other. Future elections will also likely be held together, starting with the 2009 election.
Background
Belizeans protested2005 Belize unrest
The 2005 protests in Belize are two separate but related incidents of civil unrest in the Central American nation, occurring in January and April.- January 2005 budget protests :...
for most of 2005 over the conditions of the country and the seeming ignorance of the ruling People's United Party toward these conditions. Toward the end of 2005 the PUP and the Opposition UDP turned their attention to preparing for the municipal elections in 2006.
UDP preparations
The UDP held their convention to select candidates in Belize City on October 23, 2005, with winner Zenaida MoyaZenaida Moya
Zenaida Victoria Moya is a former government official and the mayor of Belize City, Belize elected in elections held in March 2006. She is a member of the United Democratic Party . She is Belize City's first female mayor.-Childhood and education:...
doubling up her three male competitors, Bernard Watler, Rudolph “Sir Andie” Anderson, and Ernesto Torres in the mayoral race, and a field of 22 councillor candidates being narrowed to ten, those ten being: Laura Esquivel, Hyacinth Latchman, Leila Peyrefitte, Anthony Michael, Phillip Willoughby, Dean Samuels, Mark King, Calvert Quilter, Gilroy Middleton, and Wayne Usher. (Channel 5, October 24) Moya possessed a strong resume and support from various sectors of society which pushed her over the top. The UDP subsequently selected candidates for the other councils between mid-November 2005 and February 2006. One convention of note happened in Benque Viejo
Benque Viejo del Carmen
Benque Viejo del Carmen is a town in the Cayo District in the country of Belize.-History:The town was established in the 19th century, mostly by immigrants from Guatemala. During the first years of the 21st century, the town experienced a rapid boom in population...
, where sitting Mayor Said Badi Guerra was unseated in conventions in December in favour of former Mayor Marconi Sosa. (Channel 5, December 12) Another incident came on February 10, when Dangriga
Dangriga
Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of Stann Creek. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District and also the largest town in southern Belize...
mayoral nominee Frank Mena was injured in a freak accident and confined to his hospital bed through election day. Mena was nominated on and won election from his hospital bed for the UDP.
The UDP released its manifesto for Belize City and the other municipalities on January 4, 2006. Its adopted slogan was "Life Haad Out Ya! Vote UDP 7/11 for Change Now!"
PUP preparations
In Belize City, the slate of eleven was selected on November 12, 2005. Sitting councillor Marshall Nunez was elevated to Mayoral aspirant and joined by three other sitting councillors and seven new ones as follows: Marshall Nunez (Mayor), Eloisa Trujeque, Jacqueline Welch, Yasmin Shoman, Anthony Mahler, Keith Acosta, Sharrett Yearwood, Oscar Rosado, Albert Vaughan, Shanine Campbell, and Carolyn Trench-Sandiford. Two term mayor David Fonseca declined re-election. The PUP campaigned on the slogan "There for You", signifying their long association with Belize City government. Manifestos were released on February 6. Other council selections were announced prior to Nomination Day on February 14, 2006.One humorous incident occurred featuring campaigners from the ruling party. News 5 reported on February 13 that a house on Sarstoon Street collapsed while the owner was visited by the PUP 11, their campaign team and even Prime Minister Said Musa
Said Musa
Said Wilbert Musa is a Belizean lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Belize from August 28, 1998 to February 8, 2008.-Early life and education:Said Musa was born in San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize...
. No one was hurt and the owner would get a new house on the site-as soon as the old one was knocked down.
Independent/third party nominations
The following third parties nominated candidates:- We the People Reform Movement (WTP) (Corozal only)
- Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) (Belmopan only)
- New Alliance for Belizean Rights (Belize City only; not to be confused with the National Alliance for Belizean Rights (NABR)
Independent candidates contesting the elections, from north to south, included:
- Ernesto Caliz (San Pedro)
- Fernando Cruz (San Ignacio; mayor)
- Luis Ayala (San Ignacio; mayor)
- Anthony Westby (Punta Gorda; mayor)
Election supervision
The elections were supervised by Stuart Leslie in his capacity as Chief Elections Officer of the Elections and Boundaries CommissionElections and Boundaries Commission
The Belize Elections and Boundaries Commissision is the primary electoral body in Belize. It supervises all local and national elections. The Commission also establishes the boundaries of Belize's electoral divisions.-Formation and duties:...
. Leslie met repeatedly with media houses and political parties to make plans for the conduct of the elections and assure that voting rights would not be violated. This was Leslie's first (and only) supervisory role in an election since he assumed the post from Myrtle Palacio midway through 2005.
Media coverage of the elections
Belize's media houses always say that politics is often the only news in Belize. The expected election proved no different. Election related stories topped all local newscasts from the announcement of the UDP Belize City 11 in October until practically the last vote had been counted, and even after that.Local news powerhouses Channel 5
Great Belize Television
Great Belize Television, or as it is locally known, Channel 5, is a Belize City-based local television station established in December of 1991. Channel 5 airs mostly American and Caribbean programs, as well as a variety of locally produced programs...
and Channel 7
Tropical Vision Limited
Tropical Vision Limited, or as it is locally known, Channel 7, is a Belize City based television station operating since 1981.Its Managing Director is Nestor Vasquez.- Schedule :Weekdays...
teamed up with, respectively, LOVE FM
LOVE FM
LOVE FM is a Belize City-based radio station operating since February 14, 1993. It is part of RSV Media Center, whose chairman is Rene Villanueva Sr.It airs family-oriented programs and mature, contemporary style music.- History :...
/RSV Media Center
RSV Media Center
- History :The Center has been headed by Rene Villanueva Sr. for all of its existence. RSV Limited is the Parent Company of Belize's largest Radio Station LOVE FM. LOVE FM is the only Nationwide broadcasting system in Belize. It operates repeaters in every district town of Belize. It was...
and KREM Radio/Television
Krem Television
Krem Television is a Belizean television station established in 2004 and serving Belize City.Its manager is KREM Radio alumnus Evan "Mose" Hyde and it is part of KREMANDALA Ltd.- Establishment :...
to provide coverage of the actual election day. Channel 5/LOVE FM used Channel 5's Regent Street studios while Channel 7/KREM operated from Albert Street.
Election stories appeared in nearly every weekly newspaper from October to March.
The campaign
Campaigning was, as ever, cutthroat and ruthless. No holds were barred as the 153 candidates scrambled for the over 70,000 votes available to them.The UDP sought to present the PUP as heartless, corrupt, greedy and incapable of responsibility. In the case of Belize City, which the UDP had not won for over twenty years, mayoral candidate Nunez was presented as symbolizing the problems of the City and the PUP's supposed incompetence, with opponent Moya portrayed as the solution. UDP commercials typically featured poor conditions, frustrated City residents and smug PUP officials, accompanied by songs of protest, most notably Tanya Stephens
Tanya Stephens
Vivienne Tanya Stephens, better known by her stage name Tanya Stephens is an influential reggae artist who emerged in the late 1990s...
' "Turn the Other Cheek". The Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n artist made an appearance in Belize in February for a concert and was interviewed on WAVE Radio
WAVE Radio
WAVE Radio, a Belize City radio station operating since 1998, is the radio arm of the United Democratic Party . It is located at the corner of Ebony Street and the Belchina Bridge entrance, at the UDP Headquarters.- History :...
but did not expressly support the UDP.
The PUP, for their part, claimed Moya and her crew were political unknowns, not ready for the responsibilities of city management. Their commercials featured singers chanting "We noh wan Zenaida/Vote for Marshall", trumpeting Nunez's experience. Another set of commercials featured Belizean entertainers making pitches to voters to support the PUP, who would be "there for you." The UDP countered this by changing the slogan to "There for Who?" and proceeded to name who the PUP were supposedly there for: their own political operatives and supporters.
Commercials and advertisements by both parties frequently took up TV time in the evenings and could be recognised by the preceding and ending phrase: "The following/preceding is/was a paid political announcement." Nothing escaped scrutiny; even the Party Leaders were vilified.
Official organ of the PUP, The Belize Times
The Belize Times
The Belize Times is a Belizean newspaper published once a week and the official organ of the People's United Party. It was established in 1956 and sells for BZ$1.00.Its offices are located at the PUP's Belize City headquarters at 3 Queen Street, Belize City...
, even printed a rumour that UDP Leader Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow
Dean Oliver Barrow is Prime Minister of Belize and leader of the United Democratic Party. An attorney by trade, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1998 and was then Leader of the Opposition until the UDP won the February 2008 election...
had resigned-one day before elections. This rumour was promptly quashed by Barrow on local TV newscasts prior to the election. Barrow had suggested he might step down from his post a few weeks earlier if the election's outcome were not favorable.
Attention was paid to the unusually high number of women participating in the elections. This was interpreted as a sign that Belizean women were beginning to step forward and take a more active role in politics.
The election
Belizeans voted on March 1, 2006 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Voter turnout was low in the morning but picked up later. When the votes were counted the results were the following (Mayors first followed by councillors):- CorozalCorozalCorozal may mean:* Corozal American Cemetery and Memorial, Panama City, Panama* Corozal District, Belize* Corozal Town, Belize, capital of the district* Corozal, Puerto Rico* Corozal, Sucre, a city of Colombia...
: UDP, 7-0 (Mayor Hilberto Campos, Aaron Babb, Luis Brooks, Joselle Cruz, Abigail Gomez, Rosalie Williams, Nonita Ramirez; 65.9% voter turnout) - Orange WalkOrange walkOrange walks are a series of parades held annually by members of the Orange Order during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth...
: UDP, 7-0 (Mayor Ravell Gonzalez, Raul Alcoser, Phillip De La Fuente, Jamil Matar, Rosario Melendez, Enid Morales, Carlos Perera; 73.6% voter turnout) - Belize CityBelize CityBelize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...
: UDP, 11-0 (Mayor Zenaida MoyaZenaida MoyaZenaida Victoria Moya is a former government official and the mayor of Belize City, Belize elected in elections held in March 2006. She is a member of the United Democratic Party . She is Belize City's first female mayor.-Childhood and education:...
, Laura Esquivel, Mark King, Hyacinth Latchman, Anthony Michael, Gilroy Middleton, Leila Peyrefitte, Calvert Quilter, Dean Samuels, Wayne Usher; 54.5% voter turnout) - San PedroSan Pedro TownSan Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the...
: UDP, 7-0 (Mayor Elsa Paz, Juan Alamilla, Joseph Elijio, Nesto Gomez, Justiniano Guerrero, Severo Guerrero Sr., Pablo Ico; 70.6% voter turnout) - BelmopanBelmopanBelmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
: UDP, 7-0 (Mayor Simeon LopezSimeon LópezSimeon López is the mayor of Belmopan, the capital of Belize. He is a member of the United Democratic Party and was elected in 2006. Also in 2006, López became Vice President of the Belize Mayors' Association...
, Tita Balona, Eugene Michael Brown Jr., Celso Carcamo, Pedro Carillo, Olga Myers, Victor Perdomo; 70.7% voter turnout) - San Ignacio/Santa Elena: UDP, 7-0 (Mayor John August Jr, Eduardo Cano, Bernadette Fernandez, George Herrera, Iliana Moreno, Vanessa Neal, Earl Trapp Jr.; 62.2% voter turnout)
- Benque ViejoBenque Viejo del CarmenBenque Viejo del Carmen is a town in the Cayo District in the country of Belize.-History:The town was established in the 19th century, mostly by immigrants from Guatemala. During the first years of the 21st century, the town experienced a rapid boom in population...
: UDP, 6-1 (Mayor Marconi Sosa, Mirna Escalante, Adrian Guerra Jr, Elmer Guerra, Salvador Iglesias, Nicholas Ruiz, Armando Chulin (PUP); 75.5% voter turnout) - DangrigaDangrigaDangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of Stann Creek. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District and also the largest town in southern Belize...
: UDP, 7-0 (Mayor Frank Mena, Alden Chavez, Grace Fairweather, Russell Garcia, Aaron Gongora, Barbara Norales, Harry Sabal; 59.2% voter turnout) - Punta GordaPunta Gorda, BelizePunta Gorda, known locally as PG, is the town of the Toledo District in southern Belize. Punta Gorda is the southernmost sizable town in the nation, with a population of about 6,000 people...
: UDP, 5-2 (Mayor Carlos Galvez, Leonardo Chavarria (PUP), Wilfredo Galvez, Anthony Lambey, Floyd Lino, Rene Pennell, Leroy Supaul; 62.2% voter turnout)
The most surprising results came in Punta Gorda, where 5 UDP candidates were elected but not Mayoral nominee Charles Selgado; and in Benque Viejo, where the PUP's Armando Chulin sneaked on to the council by 17 votes. In the Amandala
Amandala
Amandala is a Belizean tabloid newspaper; published twice weekly, it is considered the "most widely circulated newspaper in Belize." It was established on August 13, 1969 as the chief spreadsheet for the United Black Association for Development...
of Sunday March 5, 2006, publisher Evan X Hyde
Evan X Hyde
Evan Anthony Hyde is a writer and journalist. He publishes and writes for the nation's largest newspaper, the Amandala, as well as oversee its subsidiaries, KREM Radio and Krem Television...
claimed the Punta Gorda result showed the maturity of Belizean voters in selecting a bipartisan council.
A total of nineteen women were elected, easily the highest such total ever. At least one woman was elected in each municipality except for Punta Gorda, where no women were nominated.
The UDP controlled all municipal boards for the first time ever (they previously came close in 1994 by winning all the municipalities after losing Belize City in 1993) and regained Belize City for the first time since 1986. Zenaida Moya became Belize City's first female Mayor and one of two female mayors in Belizean municipalities (joining the reelected Elsa Paz in San Pedro). The Amandala termed the victory a "blowout" while the Reporter called it a "landslide".
Aftermath
Crowds lined the streets in each municipality to welcome their new elected leaders. In Belize City, during the midst of the counting, Channel 7Tropical Vision Limited
Tropical Vision Limited, or as it is locally known, Channel 7, is a Belize City based television station operating since 1981.Its Managing Director is Nestor Vasquez.- Schedule :Weekdays...
cameraman Alfonso Noble and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Eastern Division, Crispin Jeffries got into a tangle when Noble and other media personnel would not leave the counting station immediately. As Noble was being forcibly removed, Jeffries was heard to threaten Noble with future harm if they ever met again. This incident eventually faded.
Media across the nation began speculating whether the vote was not an indication of dissatisfaction with the PUP administration; most seemed to think it was. Most political analysts credited the UDP with smart selection, timely deduction and ruthless campaigning, whereas the PUP did not seem to put their all into the campaign, perhaps wiped out from the protests the previous year
2005 Belize unrest
The 2005 protests in Belize are two separate but related incidents of civil unrest in the Central American nation, occurring in January and April.- January 2005 budget protests :...
.
Most of the new administrations found irregularities in accounts when they got into office; in Belize City, the Council was set back BZ$9 million in debts and loans, and outgoing Mayor David Fonseca was fingered for having misappropriated monies controlled by the Council, though he claimed it was used to assist the poor.
Author Stephen Okeke has recently published a book called The Psychology of Belize Politics, that attempts to explain the mechanics behind the UDP's victory at the polls.