A large part of the UDP's hopes for success in next week's municipal election rests in the west. Any measure of udp success is predicated upon victories in Benque Viejo and San Ignacio/Santa Elena. The UDP presently control those town councils and must at least hold on to that control if it is to build to an overall victory. So, like a sprinter running the anchor, all the UDP's hopes are resting on its western fortunes, which is only more motivation for the pup to unseat those hopes. It's the staging ground for a real showdown and 7NEWS today traveled west to Benque Viejo to see what's in play in both camps.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Municipal elections across the country are just one week away and with that deadline fast approaching, the fever that accompanies electoral politics is coming on. Here in Benque Viejo it's no different with both PUP and UDP mayoral candidates declaring that they already have it in the bag.
Trinidad Mendez, PUP
"Its a new era for the people of Benque and they want it, they want it so really really bad."
Marconi Sosa, UDP
"We have made our pledges, our pledges are truly significant, we are confident of a victory for the UDP here in Benque Viejo del Carmen."
And these men are not just talking the political rhetoric. Over the past few weeks they've been walking the streets and pressing the flesh, even hugging the electorate to ensure that come march 1 they get the votes. And as they do their waltz with the electorate, the message they carry with them is very, very different.
Trinidad Mendez,
"The UDP didn't do any work at all here for the past six to ten years ago and so the people of Benque want to see a change."
Marconi Sosa
"They are somewhat confused."
That confusion says Sosa is largely because central government has not given the town the opportunity to improve. With this, his campaign is centered on national issues.
Marconi Sosa,
"The PUP as a central government has been there seven years and they have done nothing for Benque. That in itself is one of the fundamental reasons why Benque will vote against the People's United Party. Most national issues are in the heart of the people of Benque del Carmen. We have felt the pinch and the punches of Said Musa and his government. We are taking this election as if it were of course a general elections. This is a report card for central government, this is a form of a referendum and I would want to assume, as the UDP does, that results of the municipal elections will measure the weakness or the strength of Said Musa and Ralph Fonseca's mandate in Belmopan. At this time we are fully aware that its extremely weak and that is one of the main reason, that is the backbone of our victory here in Benque."
Hon. Erwin Contreras, Cayo West
"This is the most elections in I think the life of the Benquenos. The
six years that we have had administrated it has been very tough, it has been very challenging, having a PUP government in place. We have victimized to the fullest extent. We see them trying to patch the streets and try to come with different things to convince the people but the people of Benque will stay the course. I believe we are stronger now with all the national issues that have come on stream; the demise of DFC, the transportation sector, and the BTL issue. When you look at it, all those issues, its as Marconi is saying, its at the heart of the Benque people."
Marconi Sosa,
"Its hard to go on a back to back to back but the nice job that Hon. Erwin Contreras has been doing with the people has energized the party's support, the people of Benque Viejo, the majority of them, have been supporting the UDP over the past six years."
But while the UDP area rep has solidified support for the municipal elections Mendez says simply that does not matter. After six years of a UDP controlled town council he says the people in Benque are ready to switch.
Trinidad Mendez,
"The people are responding, the people want to see a change. They are seeing the change. They are desperate for the 1st of March because we need to control Benque, we need to change Benque. We need to give progress to Benque."
But need to control and being able to control will only be determined after the ballots are counted and until then these politicians will keep doing their thing in the hope that every single one of the people they have the least bit of contact with will feel enough magic to vote them in on March first.
Tomorrow we'll have a look at the similarly UDP controlled towns of Santa Elena/San Ignacio.
