And while the strong PUP divisions such as Lake Independence, Pickstock, Freetown, Fort George, and Caribbean Shores delivered a massive victory for the PUP, early on the major mass party leaders were up north - in Corozal, for the two-in-one, by - election and town council.
They answered a few of our questions about what may have been on the minds of voters in these elections.
Daniel Ortiz
"This is kind of like a midterm report card on both political parties because obviously 100 days has passed for the Briceno administration and you, your party holds 6 of the 9."
Hon. Patrick Faber - Leader of the Opposition
"The most recent elections showed that people across this country saved one spot here in Corozal North and the 4 constituencies on the Southside of Belize City, and everybody else supported the PUP. These municipalities fall remember in the larger constituencies, so in San Ignacio - Santa Elena for instance, all those constituencies voter overwhelmingly for the PUP in the November elections and so what you count as UDP territory was from 3 years ago. The most recent statistics shows where the parties lie in terms of November and so for us, holding on to those seats will be great but it will show a new indication of where the voters in those areas are looking. Likewise, in other areas where we don't hold like here in Corozal Bay, if we're able to win the bi-election or even the municipal election, that will show serious gaining of grounds as well for the UDP."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister/PUP Leader
"He's living in fantasy land because the reality is that we believe we are going to win the majority of the municipalities all over the country. The UDP is totally demoralized, they are split from within the leadership of the UDP and not only that, they have been totally discredited. The commission of inquiry that we have of the selling off of government assets if only the tip of the iceberg. You have a can-do government, a government that works, we are working and people are seeing that and they understand that the UDP left this country virtually bankrupt."
Daniel Ortiz
"There's a clear advantage for an alignment between local and central government. What would you say to the voters who are closely considering the benefits of that?"
Hon. Patrick Faber
"Well, the truth be told is we see a central government that is saying blaming consistently the past administration and telling the people we can't deliver on the goods and services. Their first 100 day report card in fact is a complete failure, they concede this by and large and what happens is they say well it is the fact that the government is broke. Now how can that be helpful to any municipality if even at the national level they are saying well we can't deliver on the goods, we can't do this, we can't do that with what they are expected to do at the national level, how is that they are going to help any municipality with their projects?"
Hon. John Briceno
"Again, the leader of the opposition is living in fantasy land, he is hoping and wishing but he know of the wreckage they left behind and that somebody has to fix it but despite that we're fixing it we're still getting things done, we're still getting the economy going, our farmers are working, we're selling their products, the free zone is open, tourism is starting to come back. Numbers are still low but they are going in the right direction, they are starting to go up and people are starting to feel that hope and optimism, we have to control the government finances, of course we have, they messed it up and somebody has to fix it, so we are fixing it and that's what we do. So, him to think about the F, that F is in his mind that they have been a failure whilst they were in government."
Hon. Patrick Faber
"I think the Belizean people want to send a message that they are not at all happy with happened on November 11th, that the Briceno administration has been a total disaster, we've seen where they have no plans, we where they have been firing people mass style, we know that a tremendous pay cuts are going to come for teachers and public servants, we see where it is only their friends and cronies have benefited, we see where the crack on this new PUP are showing tremendously because it was a cover Benjamin job so to speak. I'm confident that the Belizean people can see through that but you know the truth is that sometimes the rebuilding effort takes quite a while, Rome was not built in a day and I am not about the kind of cosmetic change that like what the PUP did. They basically change their name from PUP to BLU and told the people look, we have a new brand party and those cracks are showing now. The transformation, the reformation, the rebuilding, the recreating of the UDP is not a cover Benjamin job and it may well take us some while but the fact that we are on the ground fully active, 67 candidates, 67 talented candidates who we know are of great competence is a victory in itself for me and anything else is icing on the cake."
Hon. John Briceno
"They have no credibility and the people are seeing that we have been working hard since day one."
