The run-up to Sunday's UDP Caribbean Shores convention, attracted a good deal of media attention, because it's an off-season convention and probably more importantly because the three candidates each had a compelling story and healthy advertising budgets. So, on Sunday all eyes were on the Shores.
7news was at the Trinity Methodist School before the polls opened at nine, until the winner was announced just after 6:00. Here's the story:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
Chandra had her flag hoisted high but Santi was rolling fifty deep as he walked from his campaign headquarters hand in hand with his wife and lead campaigners
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr. - Aspirant For Cari Shores Std. Bearer
"Good morning to Channel 7. Thank you very much for being here."
Jules Vasquez
"Santi why is it important for you to have this impressive showing at 8:55am?"
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"These people are all voters Jules. They all work for me, they have work for me for the last 4 weeks and the intention is to get the voting right away and start to work. We are going to lead the victory with a victory by placing it right away Jules."
Jules Vasquez
"What's your feeling this morning, nervous, confident, apprehensive..?"
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"Completely confident, hyped up, I can feel it already and that's the feeling....ride to victory with Santi!"
And while he seemed to have those red bull wings, it's the Nisbet-Cansino campaign that dominated the skies today - but on the ground she was more low key and circumspect:
Jules Vasquez
"He is walking with a posse of maybe 40 people or more 50. He intends to come in here I guess with a grand entrance. When that happens will you be intimidated?"
Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, Aspirant For Cari Shores Std. Bearer
"Jules I have never been about theatrics you guys know that. I have the voters here and I think that's what important."
Jules Vasquez
"Chandra, it's the big day. How does it feel?"
Chandra Nisbet-Cansino
"It's very exciting." (laughing)
Jules Vasquez
"Are you nervous?"
Chandra Nisbet-Cansino
"A little bit, remember this is not something that I do every day. But I think its good nervous."
Ann-Marie on the other hand said she wasn't nervous at all - just calm and confident, even in the face of dominant ground force by her opponents:
Jules Vasquez
"This morning both your opponents came down with platoons of early voters. Is this intimidating to you?"
Ann-Marie Williams, Aspirant For Cari Shores Std. Bearer
"No, no that's not a fair question. See my people out there?"
Jules Vasquez
"I am looking in the line."
Ann-Marie Williams
"The line?"
Jules Vasquez
"There is a big line with Chandra and Santi shirts."
Ann-Marie Williams
"Half of those people don't vote in this area. Please, ask me some other questions."
Jules Vasquez
"So you are not intimidated? Chandra have a crane, Santi come over here with a posse of 40 plus."
Ann-Marie Williams
"Why should I be intimidated? I have my team, they are with my shirts. My boots was set up and I was the first person out here. My sign is there. Why should I be intimidated? Cranes and those things don't vote. Come on you know better than that."
Chandra's supporters led by her mother were the first to fill up the lines followed by Santi's crowd but the very first to vote was Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his wife, Kim. The couple came early because they had to leave for a flight to Miami where Mrs. Barrow will be getting her second round of chemotherapy.
Standard Bearer Carlos Perdomo was also among the first to vote - no doubt for Chandra - whose shirt he wore.
Hon. Carlos Perdomo
"The biggest thing on Election Day is to bring out the people who have committed to you and if you are able to do that we will win. You just have to bring out the people that promise that said yes. It's one thing to say yes in your home and it's another thing to come out and actually put your X."
Chandra Nisbet-Cansino
"I have such a great working behind me. It wasn't something that I had to worry a lot about and I have full confidence that everything is ready for today."
Ann-Marie Williams
"I am extremely confident. I have done my work on the ground. We will mobilize our voters today; we have everything in place. It is just for the people to make the right decision. The campaign has been tremendous, it's been exhilarating and the promises have been great, but then you and I know there are only pledges and promises. So we will do our work and then we will leave the rest but I am extremely confident and upbeat."
Jules Vasquez
"Santi what will be the x-factor in today's event?"
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"Jules at this point I think the x-factor might be that I believe I will get more support from the grass roots people and in this type of weather they will come out for me. The weather won't hold them back."
But the well-resourced Castillo campaign also had another X factor:
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"Jules one of the things that we've done that I think it's the first time it's done in Belizean politics is that we have computerized the system for the first time. In each room we have a scrutinizer with an Apple Laptop and the name of the person is being removed as they vote at head office it is live being removed at the same time. Those people are then left with the computer list on the computer live of who has nit voted yet and those people are now being called to come and vote."
And while that was his X factor, Chandra-Nisbet Cansino's one might have been the support of Works Minister Boots Martinez who stood by her side much of the morning:
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez
"The 3 candidates are good candidates but I think that in reality looking around in regards to the party I believe that we need a good female candidate. We don't have any female candidate at mayoral level or at national level and I think that my choice of choosing Chandra is an excellent choice."
Ann-Marie Williams
"Why big ministers are an issue, none of them can't vote in Caribbean Shores and as far as I am concern that's not important because at the end of the day it's a numbers game."
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"At the end of the day he has to make his decision on who to support and I don't hold that against Boots. He made his decision to support Chandra, but by tomorrow we are all UDPs and he will be supporting me."
Santi, meanwhile has Michael Finnegan in his corner - who was still cordial his opponent. And that was the tone of the day on this most civil convention - where opponents were more than civil, they were affectionate and the front line at the gate to the voting area where there was lobbying but not jostling for votes and they even shared some hearty laughs, but for civility - we'd have to give it to Ann - Marie's gate workers. They are all graduates of Anne Marie's Women in politics programme and seemed to do things by the books:
Nancy Juan Marin - Recently Ran In PUP Convention
"We are graduate from the first WIP (Women In Politics) training but also we are committed to supporting women especially grass roots women across party lines, across country and so anywhere there is a grass roots woman running with true leadership ability you will see us there."
Florence Goldson, WIP Participant
"We are going to support each other. We are going to ensure that women who are conscious women get in the House."
Indeed, it was a political picnic for most - except for Carlos Perdomo and his driver Omar Burns who found themselves on different sides of the fence:
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concern in so far as your 5 star general Omar Burns has on another shirt?"
Hon. Carlos Perdomo
"It's disappointing but it's a democracy, so we have to live with it but it won't affect us that much."
Jules Vasquez
"But you know how valuable Omar Burns was to you as a captain for you."
Hon. Carlos Perdomo
"He is invaluable."
Fast-forward to the evening at the close of polls and Santi supporters swarmed the gate while the party's grey eminence Dean Lindo sat to one side and the matriarch of the Santiago Castillo Empire Addy Castillo sat behind him awaiting the result.
45 minutes after counting started - Castillo supporters came out declaring that they had pulled ahead to a 200 vote lead. The celebration swelled into a chorus of "Santi" chants. With Perdomo camp defector Omar Burns leading the chant. When the chairman and the candidates came to the gate to make the announcement - we had to fight through the mob - and a sudden drizzle - to see the action through the gate.
Hon. Patrick Faber
"In the convention today ladies and gentlemen a total 1,680 people voted - a record in the Caribbean Shores constituency. We are sending a message to the People's United Party, in their convention their votes were 500 less than in this convention today. The challenger Ann Marie Williams received 137 votes. The challenger Chandra Cansino received a total of 616 votes and the new standard bearer Santino "Santi" Castillo received a total of 907 votes."
Hon. Carlos Perdomo
"We want everybody to know that UDP must win again and therefore I am giving my support to the winner of tonight Santi Castillo."
Ann-Marie Williams
"Good evening one and all, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity that you gave me this evening although I didn't win I'd like to say thanks for all those who took time out vote with me. I like to congratulate both Chandra and Santino and I pledge my support to move on with the UDP for victory. Thank you."
Chandra Nisbet-Cansino
"I am for the United Democratic Party and I look forward to working with Santi and the UDP in bringing Caribbean Shores to victory."
After that, it was time for the oath and then, a speech
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"I want to give special thanks most of all to my family and especially to you the people. Without you this would not have been possible. and last but not least we need the 1,600 and odd of you to come here the next time there is an election."
The wild clamour of the mob took over again - but Castillo remained calm
Jules Vasquez
"You won by a blowout. Was this what you were expecting?"
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"This was not what I was expecting Jules, The hard work paid off. I expected to win but certainly not by this margin and I thank the voters for having that confidence in me. I had a successful and at the end of the day I think the people voted for who they thought will do the best job in Caribbean Shores."
Jules Vasquez
"One might want to suggest although he has never said it that if the PM wife is supporting Chandra maybe he was too. Maybe."
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"That is not so. I personally spoke to the PM. In fact the PM said it publicly that he was neutral on it and he has always maintained his neutrality and I have always believed that. As I've said previously, every night I went to bed I felt that the PM remain neutral and those that did support Chandra that is their choice and the agreement was that when this was over whoever won the others would then support him as Mr. Perdomo is now supporting me."
Jules Vasquez
"So what's next for you now?"
Santiago "Santi" Castillo Jr.
"The next thing is to keep the engines running Jules, not slow down. I am going to meet with Mr. Perdomo and his committee and my present committee and together continue the work because I believe the general elections won't be very far away so we have to keep the engines lubricated to tackle the real enemy which is going to be Weedy Mahler of the PUP."
And so with the incumbent and successor having made peace, it was time for the Santi camp to sweep him away to the howls and arms of faithful supporters but not before he hugged his mother and then it was off into the wilds of a motorcade.
In the end, it was a blowout.
The final vote count was: Santi Castillo, 907 votes, Chandra Nisbet Cansino 616 votes and Ann-Marie Williams 137 votes. Total voter turnout was an impressive 1608 voters. In its April convention, the PUP attracted 1189 votes - and exactly one year ago on December fifth 2010, the UDP convention drew 1080 voters.
