At the top of the news, we showed you what our news team saw in Belize City with today's nominations, but we also had another team in Corozal Town for nominations there. This is one of the municipalities that's currently controlled by a PUP Council which is seeking re-election on March 3rd.
Before Mayor Rigo Vellos won in 2018, this municipality had gone red for 4 consecutive terms under the former Mayor, Hilberto Campos. So, will the PUP hold on to power in Corozal, or will it revert to a UDP council? Daniel Ortiz was there for the nominations, and here's his story:
This morning, Mayor Rigoberto Vellos and his team of 6 councillor candidates went into the nomination station to formally enter the elections for the Corozal Town Council.
Even though he and his council are the incumbents, and he told us that the ceremony of nomination day still brings a rush of emotions.
Mayor Rigo Vellos - PUP Mayoral Candidate, Corozal
"I have done it before, but you know every time a day like today comes, it brings out other feelings that you dont usually get on a normal day, but we've been preparing ourselves for a day like today. As you can see our supporters are here, our campaigners are here, just a small fraction of the supporters that we have as a party and as a town council and I am sure that we are confident that on the 3rd March we will be victorius together with Miss Elvie Vega-Samos also."
His direct opponent for the office of Mayor is the UDP candidate, Roger Arana, who has experience in Municipal Administration from a different perspective. He worked as a public officer in the Corozal Town Council for 2 terms under the former Mayor, Hilberto Campos.
Roger Arana - UDP Mayoral Candidate, Corozal
"I started actually from scratch. I was the tax collector and then from there I also work in different departments; valuation, building inspection department and finally I got to be the revenue manger at the Corozal Town Council and so have 3 of the other councilor candidates have experience as well working at the Corozal Town council, so we are definitely going to use all this experience. We know the basic functions of the town council and that will definitely serve us well. We are a young team but with experience. We bring a lot of energy and new ideas. We definitely want to give politics a new face. I really deliberated a lot before I took the decision. This is mainly because a lot of people don't like to take the challenge. So we as Belizeans usually put the people that are not qualified and worst of all that are not committed, so I can say for myself I am definitely committed to bring that change to Corozal."
The PUP slate is asking voters of Corozal to return Mayor Vellos and his team to office for a second time. One of their sales pitch to residents is that a win for the PUP means harmony between them and Central Government
Mayor Rigo Vellos
"The people are accepting us in their homes talking to us, sharing their views, sharing their visions also. The people of Corozal knows that were working 3 years under a UDP government who were not sharing any support to the town council and they understand that. They also understand the political alignment that we can have between a central government and a PUP town council, which plays a big role when it comes to support and support is all we were asking for from the past administration and we didn't get it not one day. But now we have it on hand, we have a PUP central government and the PUP are aware of that."
His UDP opponent confirms that voters are thinking critically about the benefits of such an alignment.
Roger Arana - UDP Mayoral Candidate, Corozal
"Well that has been one of the questions that the people has brought forth in doing our house to house campaign. I can say I have work at the town council, I know that the revenues collected from the property taxes, the trade licenses, liquor licenses and even the government subvention - that they are enough to carry out our basic functions and we are here to try to a constant system of maintenance. We know our basic functions and we will carry it out. However, one of the things I want to mention and I know that this present government has already cut down in a lot of things and I am afraid that the day of tomorrow if all the municipalities come red, then they would want to remove the subvention. But I am sure that we will have more than enough to carry out our basic functions. One of the things is that I have work with different organizations: government, semi-government and non-governmental, private organizations and I have had the experience to write proposals and to get the grants that are available out there, so that is one of the venues that will be seeking when we come into town council."
Of course, the voters of Corozal Town will decide whether or not that happens.
As you heard in the story, the PUP slate consists of Mayor Rigoberto Vellos, Rodolfo Narvaez, Hilberto Clarke, Otoniel Riveroll, Miguel Montalvo, Marleni Tapia, and Baldemar Pech Jr.
Roger Arana is running for Mayor, and he is joined by the councilor candidates: Marycelbi "Lupe" Barahona, Christobal "Chris" Babb, Julie Ann Marie Castro, Navin "Di Hindu" Ghanwani, Vanesa "Van" Vasquez, and Jaime "Mohammed" Bautista.
