The re-districting exercise was promised by the PUP from before the general election - but since then, things have been moving at a glacial pace.
And, the process slowed down even more at the end of August when one of the five members of the Redistricting Task Force resigned. Statistical Analyst Martin Aldana sent a frustrated letter of resignation in August saying the re-districting exercise has been politicized.
7News has obtained the text of an email he sent to the Elections and Boundaries Commission in which he writes, "The overriding factor for my decision is my observation that the work of the task force is being influenced by actors outside the task force."
Aldana laments, quote, "I strongly feel that the task force has lost control of the redistricting exercise and are now only carrying out directives from outside the task force."
For proof of this he notes that "several months ago" a minister of government went on national media and expressed "his wish as to how his division should be redrawn." And then, after that statement, he says, quote, "there was a blatant push for the task force to draft an option for Belize City that takes into consideration the option expressed by the minister." End quote.
Aldana also notes that there has been no attempt to record minutes or transcripts of the meetings of the task force, and no attempt to keep the public informed.
That's a long string of complaints from a man known as a professional analyst and statistician. We asked the chair of the task force, chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai for a comment and she said, quote, "I cannot comment on Mr. Aldana's personal opinion of the process." End quote.
Chairman of the Commission, Oscar Sabido did not respond to our request for a comment.
He is also under pressure from opposition members on the Elections & Boundaries Commission, to provide an update to the Commission on the work of the Task Force - which they say he has been dragging his feet on.
