And while those are the official statistics, over the next few days, high level politicos will be looking deep inside those numbers. The real story of the election, and who got by and who got "got" is told by the divisional breakdown, the totals for each box. And that will be most telling in the city where the PUP failed to get the majority of votes in Albert, Pickstock and Lake Independence. In fact, the only city division that the PUP did win was in Fort George where the Prime Minister who's been working in there for 20 years managed to win by a slander margin, as few as 70 votes, according to what we're told. That massive swing allowed the UDP a decisive victory in the city where it had lost 5 straight elections, a 16 year drought.
One man with a unique perspective on that result is Michael Finnegan. In this election, his division delivered a majority of 786 votes for the UDP, the largest margin of victory he's ever recorded in his 19 years in the division. So what accounts for the PUP's massive loss of ground? In a reasoning session with Jules Vasquez today he told us what the wisdom of the UDP says.
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Mesop. Rep.
"It goes to show that the PUP is weak in all divisions. Even Fort George, the only division they won, the numbers were reduced to almost nothing and it goes to show that the Prime Minister is pretty strong in the Fort George division because he survived that tsunami. Dean Barrow and myself survived that in those municipal elections, I think it was in '97, in '97 just before the general elections or something like that."
Jules Vasquez,
Is there a difference between if you take the three who lost ground in PUP strongholds, Godfrey Smith, Mark Espat, Cordel Hyde, as opposed to Michael Finnegan, Dean Barrow, Said Musa. Is there a difference? In my mind all of those were locked down divisions.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
"But then Jules it would say to you and to me that those people aren't as strong as they appear to be because no matter what swing is against you, you ought not to lose your division. Because I can guarantee that irrespective of how unpopular the UDP may become unpopular, the PUP will not beat me in the Mesopotamia division because I am on the ground. You see I only win my seat by 500+ votes, close to 600, but that's genuine, sincere, authentic, hardworking 500 to 600 votes which I spend 19 years the amass support, 19 years on a daily basis. Jules I don't even go to the States because I stay in my division. I don't even take my kids on a vacation because I stay in my to wrap up the pieces. When my children go to the States, I send them with the stewardess and my mom picks them up at the airport."
Jules Vasquez,
But I am saying that in Pickstock, which is a native PUP division, that is a PUP stronghold.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
"I expected PUP to lose in Pickstock. Godfrey Smith doesn't possess the best name out here my friend, not to be personal, but if you are on the ground in Belize City, Godfrey Smith isn't a liked fellow. He appears to the public as arrogant and pedantic. He isn't what you think he is or what he thinks he is. Now the other two people are from Lake Independence and Albert Division, they appear to be more grounded.
What happened with those two people who are my friends, their attack on their own party and their attack on their own leadership and did the Magic Johnson 360 move and went back to their party and to their leadership really affected their credibility.
I don't think it is nothing for the UDP to sit down on their laurel and laugh over because the PUP, dah crowd noh easy. The PUP is not an easy organization to sweep away. I will publicly admit that and you want to know why they are not an easy organization to sweep away, I will say it the way Dr. Taegar would say it, they have money; money."
