The slates for municipal elections were finalized months ago but they were only made official today, on Nomination Day. Across the country, mass party and independent candidates went to Elections and Boundaries Offices to make it official by allowing someone to nominate them, and then paying a deposit.
It is a simple process, but nomination day is much more than that act of paperwork, it is a day of political pageantry, spectacle and muscle. That held true today and 7NEWS has team coverage. We begin in the city with the first group to be nominated, the incumbent PUP. Keith Swift picks up the story from ground zero.
Keith Swift Reporting, [keithkswift@gmail.com]
With the sounding of that ubiquitous bugle, at 9:10 this morning the big old blue machine was thrust into first gear at Ground Zero. The march to the Complex Building started against the flow of traffic on North Front Street with Prime Minister Said Musa in the lead. He was in lock step with mayoral candidate Marshall Nunez on the left and councilor Yasmine Shoman on the right. Close to one hundred
supporters were in two with t-shirts, waving placards, flying blue and white flags, and as it is with any PUP party, singing and dancing.
Those chants continued northbound on North Front Street. This elevated shot shows, and party leader Musa conceded, that at the jumpstart the crowd was modestly sized. Musa called it a little parade.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa, PUP Leader
"We're doing a little parade, a part of the energy boosting, its all part of the rituals of elections."
And part of that ritual is showing your strength. On approach of the Bel-China Bridge, the main parade was greeted by numbers from Pickstock, Caribbean Shores, and Freetown divisions. They brought a marching band along with Pickstock Area Rep Godfrey Smith, Freetown's Francis Fonseca, and Caribbean Shores' Joe Coye. At that point, a considerably larger and confident crowd marched up and across the Bel-China Bridge and passed the UDP headquarters without even a wink. It was a sea of blue which only got bluer as it headed up Vernon Street and picked up numbers from Lake I and Collet at the Berger Field.
And if you are keeping count, this is the peak of the parade on Vernon Street. Conservative estimates put it about 1,500 people.
The march to the Complex Building slowly worked its way to Vernon Street and to the Boulevard, giving the UDP ample time to put up another banner. And by the time it was visible from Complex roof top, the procession had become disorganized, but it was still sizeable. In fact the Prime Minister says it surprised him.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"I will tell you something, I was very surprised. I expected a large
crowd but I never expected this kind of gigantic show of support for the PUP. It shows the power of love for the PUP."
Marshall Nunez, PUP Candidate for Mayor
"We're excited about going there. After this we'll be going back to the residents of the city reiterating our commitments and positions and asking them finally for that support on March 1st."
Keith Swift,
Are you confident with this team?
Marshall Nunez,
"I am extremely confident with my team, very very confident. We now hope that the residents of the city is confident in us."
But are those who marched the residents Nunez talks about? The PUP seems to think so. They say these aren't fanatics - these are voters.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"Every party needs it base and we have a strong base. I think we have the best team. For many many years we've run Belize City. I feel extremely happy and proud to identify with them. I think we have a good team and we're going forward to victory."
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford,
They're voters so obviously they have to be an indication of what the mood is and what people are feeling out there. They are all voters, many of them
are hardcore yes, but many of them are not."
Keith Swift,
Mr. Barrow has said that a victory for him means keeping three of the town boards they have and winning the city. What is a victory for Said Musa?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"A victory for me, of course we are going to try and win all of them, that is our objective."
Keith Swift,
Best case scenario what would you want?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"The majority. A majority. There are nine municipalities, once we get a majority that is a victory."
And the homestretch to winning that majority was nomination day. Starting with Marshall Nunez, each candidate brought two registered voters and $50. For Keith Acosta, Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, and Oscar Rosado this is all a first: their first political parade, their first nomination day, and their first election on March 1st.
Keith Acosta, PUP Candidate for Councilor
"It's a bit exciting, this is my first time in this and I am feeling excited. The march was very impressive so that got me kind of rattled for the moment just now."
Keith Swift,
What will the next two weeks be years be for you?
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford,
"Hectic, hectic, hectic. Campaign, strategizing for election day, make sure we have our machinery in place, logistics in place and so on."
Keith Acosta,
"Campaigning hard and getting out there to know the people more and asking for their support."
Oscar Rosado,
"The next two weeks we just got to continue the house to house support and without the people we can't get there so need to be the with the people today, tomorrow, and maybe forever."
Forever - or at least until March 1st. The party hopes it's a march to victory which began today.
And while the PUP ruled the morning, the UDP had the afternoon.
