And while that is a single flashpoint - it's made news because of it could be a foreshadowing of election day in this topsy turvy time.
Fact is, many political party supporters are frustrated - because, politics is a contact sport - and they're not getting that on the ground contact - that "party" spirit that put the "P" in PUDP.
On election day, it's going to be even more frustrating for those who have a positive COVID test.
Right now that's over one thousand persons and the way things are trending right now, we can expect that number to increase coming unto election day. On November 11th - the Prime Minister says that whoever has a confirmed active infection won't be allowed to vote because of the quarantine regulations.
This morning on "Despierta Belize" on his TV station in Orange Walk - John Briceno accused the ruling party of voter suppression. He says they can vote at the hospital:
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition "The UDP is using the pandemic, trying to use it to their advantage and why would I say this? I think its a nefarious plan of the UDP trying to supress the vote. The underlying message they are trying to give people, you know what don't waste your time because if you go out there you could get sick because they know and the UDP does not want to go out to vote. So, any person that they can discourage from going to vote to potentially vote for the PUP, is a plus for them. So it's not so much about the COVID-19 patients but it is about trying to discourage Belizeans from going out to vote, that is why I am telling the people when we were campaigning, you need to come out to vote, we are going to be careful. If the prime minister, if the UDP wants these people to vote, all we need to do for instance in Orange Walk district, let them go to the hospital to vote and in the hospital, they know who are the COVID patients, so they would take out the records from the binder and have it there at the hospital and you have 4 boxes, one for Orange Walk Central, one for Orange Walk East, one for Orange Walk North and one for Orange Walk South. The UDP can have one person, the PUP have one person staying there, well protected, so that these people can go to the hospital and take their time and vote safely."
Briceno says he will call the Prime Minister personally to float this "vote at the hospital" proposal as well as another proposal to make Belizeans who are across the land borders enter the country to vote - but be subjected to a rapid test at the border.
