And while tomorrow is all about the people’s will in a democracy, for the police it’s all about law and order. Today the Police Commissioner sent out a strongly worded caution to anyone who is planning on having anything other than water, energizer drinks or sodas to quench their thirst during the municipal elections. In fact some very important changes have been made to the statutory instruments governing election day behaviour, restricting not only the sale of intoxicating liquor, the use of cell phones in polling and counting stations and the prohibition of firearms on that day. We advise you to pay keen attention to what Police Commissioner Gerald Westby has to say because as we also found out, anyone who breaks the new rules could be sent to jail for the next six months.
Gerald Westby, Commissioner of Police
“Statutory Instrument no. 35 of 2009 which prohibits the carrying, use or discharge of firearm in any public place a hundred yards from any polling station or counting station. This does not apply to members of the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defense Force, and any other public officer who is on official duty and is duly authorized in writing by the Commissioner of Police. I would like to bring to the attention of the general public Statutory Instrument #33 of 2009 which deals with the sale of liquor on election day. In the past the liquor premises were restricted and must remain close from 7 in the morning during polling to 6 pm in the evening.
Now this new statutory instrument has extended the hours for remaining close until after the counting is completed and the law also increases the penalty from not exceeding $250 to not exceeding $2,000 for any liquor premises is found open and this applies to any premise that sells liquor, restaurant, shop, once the sale of liquor must remain close until after the counting is completed. I would like to assure all Belizeans that the police will be out there in numbers including all senior officers and to ensure that law and order is maintained and also to enforce these new two statutory instruments. We will not allow anybody to carry or anyone to carry firearms into polling and counting stations.”
According to Westby, after the ballots have been counted the police will then inform business establishments when they can start selling liquor.
