The UDP held its city council convention on Sunday at the ITVET building. 16 people vied for 10 seats - 7 of the aspirants were incumbent councilors and 9 were newcomers. the Mayor's seat was uncontested as Darrell Bradley was endorsed.
Still, even without the kind of mayor's race that made the last convention in 2008 a full out war, this time when we visited don Sunday we found the crowd lively and the spirit robust. We spoke to many of the aspirants:...
Dion Leslie, Councillor
"I don't expect it to be as big as the last convention or as crowded. The secretariat and us discuss it and we don't expect the same crowd. The last time we had 34 candidates and you had a very heated contested mayoral race, so we don't expect it to be that crowded but like you said I am an incumbent now and I know what to expect and I prepare well for the game."
Michael Theus
"I am expecting a nice turnout for myself, we have down the ground work, I, Dion, Eric and Kevin Singh n- we have work hard touching all the areas. I expect from the support we are getting out there that we will be getting a good turnout for our slate."
Dion Leslie, Councillor
"At first glance it looks as if it favors the incumbency - being that their name is out there but 'I'd say it favors who put in the work, who put in the hours and who brings the people out and at the end of the day that what wins conventions; who brings the most people out and I think the team we put together - we are doing a damn good job of doing that right now and I expect a victory for myself, Mike, Eric and the others I expect a victory for us."
"Jules a lot of people has the misconception that the council hasn't done much but if you really look at our record - if you watch the manifesto that we brought out in 2009 for the elections - we basically accomplish 80%-90% of that manifesto. Yes I do understand there are problems - of course the common; streets, drains, garbage but the council goes beyond just streets, drains and garbage- we do have a social responsibility."
Darrell Bradley
"I don't think that there is any clouding because I view today as not necessary the end of anything but the beginning. Today marks a march to the fight for March 2012 and beyond because we have a lot of work that needs to get done in the city and a lot of people - when we are doing campaigning have told us that they want a different kind of leadership and we have a lot of challenge. The road ahead is very difficult and we want to restore the city and that's a hard fight to convince people to support the United Democratic Party."
Eric Chang
"Yes the Chinese community does give me a big help in turn of voting but you have to look on the numbers. Overall Chinese is minority at the end of the day - there are people that support me and not just the Chinese community - it's everybody. I believe once you treat people sincere they will come out. I am actually pretty much excited today because I see people come out from early."
Kevin Singh
"The last convention I was there but not really putting in any kind of work. Today I am out here greeting the people and trying to get them to vote for the slate on ten that I am on."
Jules Vasquez
"You think you have an advantage because you are known already or it might hurt you because people may say that they don't want the old city council - I want somebody new?"
Kevin Singh
"Well Jules I will tell you the truth. I think I have a little advantage because I am an old candidate and the people know me a lot."
Dr. Alain Gonzalez
"I am confident that I can actually help to make changes that need to be done in the city in the sense of health wise. A lot of people complain about the drains, streets, the garbage being pick up or not being pick up on time and I think I as a doctor who knows the health hazards that these things might cause and I am willing to be there to give my all - to give everything that I can do to help with these situation in the city. Lot of people have complain about the city council right now although they have done a very good job but people want to see more and a lot of people think that if new faces get into the city council that better things will come and better things will happen and so I think in a way it will actually not hurt me but it will help me as a new comer to have an advantage over the older candidates because a lot of people would want to see changes."
Karima Card
"Well it's exciting I must say. So far it's not what I expected, I expected more people out here this morning in full support but I think it's going well so I think it's going to be a
good day after all."
Jules Vasquez
"As a veteran councilor how is it that you are not on the mainstream slate, the slate they have the television ad for?"
Dean Samuels
"Jules I don't know how to answer that question. I mean everybody have a choice to support who they want and at the end of the day that's their right."
Jules Vasquez
"Will it hurt you?"
Dean Samuels
"Jules I will be honest with you. I personally - I wouldn't say it will help me in any kind of way in the sense that its people who come out and vote and the end of the day people have their own minds and will do what they want."
Roger Espejo
"That slate from what I understand is a concoction made up by a few elements here in Belize City and its politics - a few party people - insiders will have their preferred candidates and they will lobby for them and that's what came out of it."
Jules Vasquez
"Will it hurt you not being on that slate?"
Roger Espejo
"I don't think so. My work speaks for itself - 30 months in I have manage to accomplish above par."
Alifa Elrington
"I think for me it's important to just meet and greet people, get out there and those who don't know me so far get to know me today. I've been talking to quite a bit of the people coming out to vote this morning and the reception has been very good and so that's my strategy for now to just go out and make sure that I am always at the gate walking around greeting and meeting people."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you confident at the end of the day as a newcomer you will make it on the slate?"
Alifa Elrington
"I am confident that I can make it on the slate."
Wayne Usher
"I am cautiously optimistic but I will work right up to the wire and that's how I am. I will trust the people to give me their votes."
Jules Vasquez
"Does it hurt you that you are not on that supposed slate of ten?"
Wayne Usher
"Absolutely not. I am not deterred by that. I am not really worried. I will trust the people to return me or to say 'you know what Wayne, give it a break' and then I will go home quietly."
Philip Willoughby
"Everyone who comes in to the ITVETT compound to vote recognizes Philip Willoughby, acknowledge that work that I have done and like I continue to say from time to time with these interviews 'Jesus rode into Jerusalem one day on a donkey and the people put down their palms and one week after they crucify one of the best man ever to walk the earth' and so anything that happen to Philip Willoughby thereafter I won't be disappointed."
Jules Vasquez "Are you confident that you will be re-elected?"
Philip Willoughby
"I am very hopeful."
Jules Vasquez
"But a veteran like you - either you know or you don't know. You've been through two of these municipal - two conventions, you are not into the fooling feeling. Either it is happening or not happening."
Philip Willoughby
"I would like your eyes to be in the ballot box when the ballots are going in Jules and then you tell me and then you will have a firsthand insight of what is going on in there. As far as it goes we wait until the last ballot is counted."
Jules Vasquez
"Why are you putting such an intense effort?"
Hon. Boots Martinez
"Well this is the party's effort and it's a joyous thing for us to accumulate out work effort and make sure that the party gets enough support in regards to city council convention."
Jules Vasquez
"Now from Port Loyola's perspective, you have your set candidates you are supporting?"
Hon. Boots Martinez
"Yes I have a set base of five that I am supporting."
Jules Vasquez
"Is it the preference of the party that new people get elected or does the party prefer the established names being that a lot of them have a lot of baggage associated with their names?"
Hon. Boots Martinez
"I don't know about baggage. I know about sixteen qualified people on the ballot to vote and I know that we will select the ten best candidates from there. I don't know about baggage at all and like what I said I am with my base five and the rest I left up to my constituency to give who they want but literally my base five I can almost say will make it."
Jules Vasquez
"Who is your base five?"
Hon. Boots Martinez
"I don't need to disclose that at this time. Maybe if can take a little sampling of the ballots that my people have - maybe you could look on six or seven of them and then you can see the base five."
Jules Vasquez
"Mesop doesn't have a slate that it's supporting? What's your position?"
Hon. Michael Finnegan
"I think it's time for the people to decide who their candidates should be and let the voters come out. All the candidates are there. They have campaign and everybody knows who they are, so let the voters decide."
Jules Vasquez
"Is it a case of the fact that your favorite city councilor Zenaida Moya is not running again?"
Hon. Michael Finnegan
"No, it's not that at all. I think that the Belizean people are wise enough and know what to do."
Hon. Dean Barrow
"I think apart from everything else the fact that there is no contest for mayor - certainly lets a fair amount of air of the balloon and so it's obvious that we are not going to be even within striking distance of that sort of a figure but from what I am seeing I think we will have an excellent turnout - all things consider. So I am happy so far. While the council overall has had it challenges - individuals on the council have distinguish themselves. I do not want to exclude them. I think people want to know that new team is going to be anchored by a degree of experience and you can only get that by having some of the current councilors and so I don't think that we will in the least be disappointed at what I am sure will be the result - a mix slate of old and new."
Jules Vasquez
"If the UDP were to lose the municipal or majority of the municipal elections - would you be dispose to call an early election? or alternately if they were to win decidedly, will you then be dispose?"
Hon. Dean Barrow
"I think that's not something that I have thought about at this junction. It's not something that I care to think about at this junction. One step at a time - when we get through today, we want to get in high gear in terms of the campaign and we want to be sure that we win the city as we want to be sure that we win the vast majority if not all of the municipalities. I honestly think that there is a good chance that we will repeat that we will win every single municipality."
In the end, when the polls closed at 5:00, The 10 Elected Councilor Candidates were:
1. Dion Leslie, who topped the polls with 2,450 votes, Eric Chang with 2,363 - who came in second in the polling for a second time, newcomer Bernard Pitts Jr, who was third, Philip Willoughby, fourth, then newcomer Alifa Elrington, followed by incumbent Dean Samuels, newcomer Dr. Alain Gonzalez, followed by Roger Espejo, then Kevin Singh and securing the last spot, newcomer Michael Theus who bested Karima Card by only 15 votes. The only incumbent who offered himself and did not make it is Wayne Usher - he finished 12th in the balloting.
The Total votes cast were 3,636.
