The Elections and Boundaries Department today announced the date for the nomination of candidates contesting the upcoming municipal elections. Chief Elections Officer Stuart Leslie made the announcement and the Police Department laid the ground rules for the candidates and their supporters. Here's more.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Flanked by Assistant Commissioners of Police Crispin Jeffries and Eduardo Wade, Chief Elections Officer Stuart Leslie began by announcing the nomination day for the March 1st municipal elections.
Stuart Leslie, Chief Elections Officer
"We have set nomination day as Valentine's Day, Tuesday February 14th. The political parties also agreed on the colors that they'll like to have represented. Of course you know that the People's United Party will use the color blue; the United Democratic Party, the color red; Vision Inspired by the People will use the color golden yellow. In Belmopan Vision Inspired by the People will present their candidates for nomination during the lunch hour, between 11:30 and 1 o'clock, and in the afternoon the United Democratic Party will present their candidates for nomination. So all PUPs will go in the morning, all VIPs during the lunchtime, and all the UDPs in the afternoon."
And as has become the norm when nomination day comes around, the event is always surrounded by a rush of political fanfare and parades through the streets. And eventhough the political gamesmanship will be in full effect, the police won't be playing any games: they expect that those participating will conduct themselves in a peaceable, orderly fashion.
Eduardo Wade, Assistant Commissioner of Police
"The police will expect that those persons who want to have any fanfare as it relates to going on nomination day, to the nomination day area, that those applications will be made in due course so the police can assist in traffic control and of course the safety and security of those participating in that activity."
Crispin Jeffries, Assistant Commissioner of Police
"There is some concern about what format parades and procession, motorcades or other activities, should take on nomination day. As indicated by the Chief Elections Officer, a number of persons may want to gather for each of these events and there are time slots that were allocated for these. The police will be making certain that a certain amount of time before and after each slot, that has been allocated, is provided for processions to and from the nomination station."
All said both the Police Department and the Elections and Boundaries Department expect an exhilarating yet peaceful day on February 14th - trend that they expect will continue unto election day March 1st.
While nomination day has been set for Tuesday February 14th, Leslie also explained what the ballot paper will look like. He said the ballots will not differ from earlier elections, with the exception of Belmopan that has a new party contesting that city's elections. But members of that new party, the VIP, say they are already being undermined, beginning with the ballot papers.
Stuart Leslie,
"They have agreed already between the two major political parties at least that the incumbent party will appear at the top portion of the ballot and then the other parties will appear at the other section of the ballot. The case of Belmopan City Council, again the intention is to place the incumbent party at the top of the ballot, which would be the People's United Party; the United Democratic Party second, and the Vision Inspired by the people third."
Paul Morgan, V.I.P.
"I was dissatisfied with the inherent unfairness with respect to the
ballot, the way they propose to put out this ballot, following the same precedent that was held or that has been practiced over the past two elections. In essence we feel that the election for mayor should be a separate ballot. We believe that the law provides for it. We were also disappointed with respect to the parties, along with the Chief Elections Officer, chose the positions of the parties, or the candidates, on ballot. We feel that it should be a little more, or less bias, more subjective. We feel that there are other ways to do it and our proposal is that you set out the mayoral ballots in alphabetical order, just the three mayors, right up front; alphabetical order---perhaps a separate ballot, it will be faster to count by the way. We won't have this problem that we just went over, taking too long to count. And then the candidate should be there in alphabetical order, along with their colors."
Leslie announced today that at the end of December there were 134,917 voters registered to vote. That number will be increased by some 2000 more voters who were recently registered in the drive to City Council elections.
