Voting, it's a secret process and a sacred right guaranteed to every Belizean. But while the process of voting in a democracy has been greatly idealized, the ideal is not the real and what happens in the grand cathedral of the democratic ideal often differs from the true grit that coarses through the gutters of realpolitik in the streets. Many see it like this: election day is the only time that the voter has any power. Some choose to leverage that power, selling their vote to the highest bidder, or both the high and the low. There's no science, study or statistics to prove this, but in Belize City, the practice of vote buying and selling in believed to be common. Well now, the Association of Concerned Belizeans wants it to end. But they're not holding up a falsely moralistic standard; they're saying, take the money, and accept the favors, but do your own thing in the ballot box.
Karim Berges, ACB President
"The process of election and the politicians tend to want to buy the people's votes, whether it is by cash or special favors. What we're making aware to the people is that at the end of the day, whether you need to accept these gifts or special favors, you're not obligated to vote in any direction other than your mind. It depends on the issues and what you want to be addressed, you stick to those. We have four slogans: no yuh sell yuh vote, yuh vote is priceless, they don't know, and vote your mind. The underlying message is the final one, vote your mind."
Jules Vasquez,
Is this an attempt to impose your bourgeois values that you can afford to have because you live reasonable well upon people who do not have the luxury?
Lois Young, ACB Trustee
"No because we are not saying don't take anything. If what you suggested were true, we would be telling people, 'oh don't take the money, don't accept the favors.' We realize that people will take the money and have to take the money and have to accept the favors but this is coming from the point of view of let's debunk this myth that you are going to be found out if you don't vote a certain way. This is an education campaign. Nobody is saying don't take the favors, in fact you are entitled to have your street fixed."
Jules Vasquez,
The ACB is continually criticized for being a covert functionary of the UDP. Is this an attempt to indirectly implicate the PUP for vote buying?
Lois Young,
"Well first of all I do not know that the UDP bruk so all I can say is who the cap fits, let them wear it."
Karim Berges,
"There have been rumors that it's operational from both camps and we're not pointing any fingers. Like what Lois says, who the cap fits and we're just making am approach to the people that it's at both ends, to any party, any politician. If you get a gift, you at the end of the day are obligated to vote your conscience, that's what's the most important thing."
