The Orange Walk based organization BELPAC, or "Belizeans Promoting Active Citizenship," tried to organize a debate between that towns two mayoral candidates, the UDP's Ravel Gonzalez and the PUP's Netty Johnson. Gonzalez committed in writing, but the Johnson camp started with a back and forth and that killed it all. Now, BELPAC has been forced to give up on that debate and instead, organizers are having a public forum on voter education. It's one heck of a come down, but BELPAC is making up for it by having an all star roster of panelists including Senator Godwin Hulse, Belmopan Mayor Tony Chanona and others. Today the organizers went on a city media tour to encourage Orange Walkenos to come out. Gonzalo Castillo told us that it's an important first step.
Gonzalo Castillo, BELPAC
"One of the criteria that a democracy requires is to have access to information and information not only from the government, but also objective information from all sides. That's one of the purpose of BELPAC. We are hoping that changing times in the way our political atmosphere with the way things are running in the country, people are more critical, people can become more logical in their decisions, let people begin to think differently in terms of what is your loyalty, is your loyalty based on principles or loyalty is placed on people. And in doing so and becoming more active, you could become more aware of what's the real situation in your community to start and then the country on a whole later on."
Ramon Pacheco, BELPAC
"People will then know what the town councils are, what they should expect, and maybe its not going to change what's going to happen in the elections but what its going to do is to just allow people to think more."
Gonzalo Castillo,
"If we can get people to start thinking more progressive, its going to be for the benefit of the entire town. Our goal is not to tip the balance of the political process, the parties have their job to do with that, we are not doing anybody's job for them."
Osmany Salas,
"It might sound idealistic or we may even sound naive but we don't believe so. We already have a lot of ideas in our mind as to what we can develop, an organize and conduct in Orange Walk."
The forum will happen tomorrow night at 8:00 at the Crystal Palace Auditorium.
