During last night's newscast, you heard Prime Minister Dean Barrow hint that he is planning to call the general elections in early November. Well, one of the alternative political parties is declaring publicly, that they are ready to contest the election, whenever that date.
They're the Belize Progressive Party, a fledgling organization, which continues to insist that they are in the business of elections for nationalistic reasons. The BPP and their leaders, Patrick Rogers and Wil Maheia have insisted over the years that voters continue to be disappointed by the "PUDP" leadership fumbles because the electorate is resistant to give another party a fair chance getting into elected office.
They are once again pleading with Belizeans to give them at a chance in Government, and this afternoon, one of their brand name candidates made an interesting move. Will Maheia, the border activist and politician from Punta Gorda, has decided that the Fort George division is ripe for the taking, and with only a few months to go, he declared his candidacy in that constituency.
We'll have more from the BPP's press conference, which was held today, but, we start first with Maheia's surprising announcement and his appeal for support from the resident of Fort George. Here's that part of the press conference:
Wil Maheia - Deputy Party Leader, BPP
"If you do the same thing - and my brother, Michael Usher, from Fort George, who keeps on saying if you do the same thing, over and over, it's the definition of insanity. Today, we're doing something different. Today, I, Wil Maheia, [am] declaring myself for the Fort George Division here in Belize City. Yes, I am coming to Belize City. I have relatives in Belize City. I know Belize City. When I fight, I fight for all of Belize. If this is the game that the PUDP wants to play, then we will play that game. You cannot expect Toledo East to be a thousand square miles, and the divisions in Belize City to be 1 square mile. It's just not fair. We will come to the City, where the chances of winning are greater, where Belizeans realize that all we are asking for is a level playing field. The BPP is not taking Ashcroft's money, so, we don't have the money. It's easier for me to get from PG to Fort George, than from me to get from PG to the village of Dolores. Most Belizeans don't really realize that, and I hope that we could spread the message of why there is a need for redistricting for generations. I came up here. I always meet people here. People in Belize City are always encouraging me to run. I have some roots in Belize City. My wife is from the Belize District. I have family over here in Belize City. And when you look at it, Fort George [is] about approximately a little less than 1 square mile. Toledo East is a thousand square miles. So, realistically speaking, it's easier to get a win in Belize City. It makes more sense, if I really want to fight for this country, and to fight for changes, mathematically speaking, it makes more sense to run in Fort George and come up with a win.
"I was in Fort George earlier, before this press conference, and with Patrick, we were by the seaside. It was no different than being in PG. And the youths that we were with, they were expressing dissatisfaction, especially now. A lot of youths who I was with today, they were telling me, this man, you can't dispute it. The area rep. was sick, never showed up for 6 or 7 months. All-of-a-sudden, he came in, well, my son will run - no consultation. [He] didn't give anybody else a break. Keep it in the family. They are like, no, no, we are not supporting that. We are glad that you are here. We are happy that you are here. We want to give the green a chance. The BPP, I assure you, will take this country forward. Let's do something different this time, Belize. Let's give the green a chance. We need a run like my brother over there says. The BPP needs a run. You cannot judge us if you have never given us a chance. You have given UDP, the PUP, the PUDP a chance. You cannot judge us if you haven't given us a chance. This is the time give us a chance, and after this time, if we screw up, then you can judge us."
In three general elections - Maheia has offered himself as an independent in the Toledo East constituency. In 2008, he got 299 votes; In 2012, he got 282 votes; and in 2015, he got 225 votes.
