For the third week in a row, both the UDP and the PUP are claiming dominance in this weekend's round of village council elections. The PUP are calling it a tie: saying that of the 38 villages, the PUP won 19 and the UDP 19. But the UDP says it won 21 out of 38.
And while the numbers can be deceptive, success in the battlegrounds is beyond argument. And in Ladyville, the biggest battleground and the backbone of Ralph Fonseca's Belize Rural Central, both parties deployed major forces to this proving ground. 7NEWS was there for the fireworks. UDP Lucio Choc was seeking re-election, but the PUP felt it had a good chance to unseat him.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a local election for a new Ladyville Village Council but with the presence of national political personalities from both the UDP and the PUP. along with mass mobilization of supporters and the drawing of clear political lines, yesterday it had the feel of a national election. Michael Ortiz was a candidate for councilor on the UDP ticket.
Jules Vasquez,
When you go in there, on the ballot or on the black board, they won't see neither red nor blue, they will see your name so it is a bit confusing.
Michael Ortiz, UDP Candidate for Councilor
"Yeah it is."
Confusing because in village council elections, voters should be voting for names not parties - people, really, and not slates. It makes the process tedious and keeps the lines long. But though the choices were local, the implications were national, which is why Belize City Zenaida Moya says she was here.
Zenaida Moya, Belize City Mayor
"If we, if the UDP can win the majority of the villages, clearly it will show again as it did in the municipals that we will win generals."
And with those high stakes, the campaign machinery was in high gear on both sides. But the PUP's Winston Smiling says the UDPs went too far and broke the
spirit of fraternity and a long standing election day agreement when they put up this banner - "Reject the PUP."
Winston Smiling, Campaigning for PUP
"What was agreed on was that no negative signs against either or either side should be displayed on election day. I am saying that what they are saying, I heard a whisper in the background that it was up before election day. Well this is election day, well then please let us work in harmony and remove it if the agreement was that there should be no negative signs.
We don't see it necessary to put up a negative sign against the UDP because at the end of the day this country belongs to all of us. We want to live in harmony. Watch my best friend right here, your Mayor okay. She is my good friend. We don't have anything negative against each other. The Xs will say who will be rejected from who will be selected. Let's leave it to the people when they go to the polls. The way we share our friendship, this is the way I would want to see all UDPs and PUPs share their friendship. It is as simple as
that."
Zenaida Moya,
"Clearly that's how the people feel, 'reject PUP,' and sometimes you have to say what's in your heart."
And while that may be her sentiment, prospective PUP candidate for the area Cardo Martinez was working the street and pressing flesh on this day - confident that if he gets to run, he won't be rejected. It's a gamble that Area Representative Ralph Fonseca didn't take on this day - as he did not make an appearance on election day in the most populated village in his Belize Rural Central division.
In the end, UDP Chairman Choc won decisively with 592 votes to the PUP candidates 263. In fact the PUP candidate barely bested the independent candidate for Chairman who got 245 votes.
This should have some bearing on the PUP candidacy for Belize Rural Central where Ralph Fonseca still has not said if he will or won't run. It is believed that if the PUP somehow loses Hattieville, which is a long, long time stronghold, Fonseca may be forced to walk away. That Hattieville election will be on the 15th.
In other village race of note, the UDP won in Santa Familia, Cayo which up until now, had been a permanent PUP stronghold. The UDP also claimed PUP stronghold Georgeville in Cayo Central. For its part the PUP gained Sarteneja in Corozal Southeast, the home village and former stomping ground of the UDP candidate for that division, Sirvando Samos.
After taking a break for Easter, village councils continue on April 15th.
