As the PUP prepares to rebuild after its worst loss ever, a lot of what went wrong should come from an analysis of the figures. After a series of bad stats from the Election and Boundaries Department, we did the math ourselves and we’ve been analysing them – and here a few interesting stories that only numbers can tell.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
121,000 Belizeans voted. That’s 77% of all registered voters, down percentage-wise only slightly from 79% in the last general election. The UDP earned 56% of the vote, while the PUP suffered its worst defeat ever: garnering only 41% of the vote. Compared to 2003 – it’s a swing of 12 percentage points – the largest in Belize’s political history.
Percentage wise, the UDP had its largest win in Mesopotamia where it garnered
77% of the vote. Queen’s Square was close behind at 76%. The most dramatic swing was in Belize Rural Central – where Ralph Fonseca witnessed a 20 point swing, with his support going from 66% to 46% of the vote.
The other most dramatic swing against the PUP was in the Albert Division, where Mark Espat’s percentage slid from 83 to 63% - a full 20 points – but he managed to hold on comfortably – still the PUP with the largest margin of victory.
But there was no comfort in Freetown. That was one of the closest divisions where Francis Fonseca actually won with a hair less than 50% of the vote – and managed to just barely withstand an 11 point swing.
And in Said Musa’s Fort George Division, the UDP made major strides, accounting for an 18 point swing against the outgoing Prime Minister – who still managed to hold on quite comfortably for his last term.
And if you’re wondering about the referendum, the count of those votes showed that less than half of the voters who went to the polls bothered with that ballot. But the majority of those who did vote on it aid yes to an elected senate. Still, it hardly matters now as the UDP will present its proposal for an empowered Senate shortly.
