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2003 Belizean general election

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2003 Belizean general election

← 1998 5 March 2003 2008 →

All 29 seats in the House of Representatives
15 seats needed for a majority
Turnout79.55%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Said Musa Dean Barrow
Party PUP UDP
Leader's seat Fort George Queen's Square
Last election 59.67%, 26 seats 39.41%, 3 seats
Seats won 22 seats 7 seats
Seat change Decrease4 Increase4
Popular vote 53,314 44,996
Percentage 53.54% 45.19%
Swing Decrease6.13pp Increase5.78pp

Popular vote by constituency. As Belize uses the FPTP electoral system, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each constituency

Prime Minister before election

Said Musa
PUP

Subsequent Prime Minister

Said Musa
PUP

General elections were held in Belize on 5 March 2003. Belizeans elected 29 members to the House of Representatives for a term of five years. The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party (PUP), which won 22 of the 29 seats.

Background

[edit]

The PUP were seeking a second consecutive term in office after recording significant development in the economy from 1998 to 2003. Their opponents, the UDP, sought to replace them in office because of charges of corruption and mismanagement of public funds. Previous to this election, the parties had alternated their time in office since independence.

As an aside, municipal elections had originally been called for this date, creating a situation of triple elections in one day, a first for the Caribbean region according to Myrtle Palacio of the EBD.

As a postscript, Cayo South winner Agripino Cawich Sr. died of illness in August 2003. UDP candidate John Saldivar, who had lost to Cawich in March, won the subsequent by-election over son Joaquin Cawich in October.

This general election was also the first in Belizean history in which former Prime Minister George Cadle Price was not a candidate. Price, who stood down from the Pickstock constituency, had contested every prior general election since 1954, winning each time except 1984.[1]

After what Prime Minister Said Musa called a "drawn-out" campaign that he said affected the country's ability to function, Musa called a house meeting on January 24, 2003[2] and formally announced that he had asked Governor General Sir Colville Young to dissolve the National Assembly of Belize by February 4, decree nomination of candidates for elections on February 17, and call elections on March 5.

Elections were called early; they had not been constitutionally due until at least November 2003. The Opposition UDP, led by attorney Dean Barrow and eager to recover from the disastrous 1998 campaign, declared themselves ready to battle. Governor General Young officially issued the proclamation dissolving the House on February 4,[3] as requested by Mr. Musa.

Campaign

[edit]

The People's United Party had nominated candidates through much of 2001 and 2002. Among the more hotly contested races was Pickstock, where Attorney General and Senator Godfrey Smith defeated Bobby Usher of the PUP old guard. A number of other sitting members declared that they would not run again, including Jorge Espat in Freetown (relieved by Francis Fonseca) and Henry Canton in Stann Creek West (replaced by Rodwell Ferguson). The PUP prepared a visually oriented campaign, stressing their accomplishments in office as the governing party and citing weak links in the UDP armor.

The United Democratic Party's selection process was rife with controversy. In May 2002, Pickstock standard bearer and musician Kenny Morgan was removed[4] (he would eventually be replaced by Diane Haylock). Attorney Wilfred Elrington contested Pickstock independently after running into party officials over Haylock's appointment; brother Hubert, who had already left the party, likewise contested independently in Lake Independence against the sitting Cordel Hyde. Another bone of contention was Albert, where the UDP selected Marilyn Williams over Sydney Fuller. Fuller ran independently but Williams was herself the subject of investigation over allegations that she was a U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible to participate in the elections. Representatives in Lake Independence and Belize Rural Central were also replaced.[5]

This was the first election for the We the People Reform Movement, which put up candidates in Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize District. Independents appeared in all six districts. The election was tagged as featuring the highest number of independent candidates ever, including former UDP candidate Wilfred Elrington in Pickstock. Elrington finished second to winner Godfrey Smith but doubled up UDP choice Diane Haylock.

The 2003 general election can be considered one of the most glitzy and packaged. The PUP ran a mostly upbeat campaign, focusing on celebrating the works achieved in its five years in office. The campaign was highlighted by the release of a CD of political campaign songs written by prominent Belizeans, particularly "Welcome to the Party" by Supa G. "Party" saw three translations and numerous airings over the course of two months of campaigning, invariably accompanied by PUP officials smiling and making contact with their constituents.[6]

The UDP chose substance over style in a realist campaign. Their commercials and statements attacked what they saw as latent corruption in the PUP's governing of the country. In February a broadside of scandals rocked the retiring administration, in sectors as varied as transport and education, and the UDP pushed every single one as an indication of the things the UDP would not tolerate if elected.[7]

We The People and other independent candidates stressed their belief that the system needed to change and that overall life needed to be improved for all Belizeans. The independents were not as heavily represented on the media but saw their opportunities as they came.[8]

Conduct

[edit]

The elections were supervised by the Elections and Boundaries Department, headed by Chief Elections Officer Myrtle Palacio and her four person administrative staff. In preparation for the possibility of general elections and the certainty of municipal elections, the EBD had cleaned out their electoral rolls following the 1998 re-registration exercise, sought to boost voter confidence through the media, and trained fellow civil servants across the country to prepare for the rigorous test of conducting three separate elections in one day.

The EBD commanded 1,432 election workers, 567 municipal, 865 general. The workers were divided according to post: returning officer (in charge of the station and vote), election clerks and assistants, presiding officers (at each polling area), poll clerks and assistants, and counting clerks. Statutory Instruments Nos. 14 and 43 of 2003 respectively guaranteed voters the right to register up to February 10, 2003 in lieu of nomination day and allowed for more counting agents assigned to the general elections.

On election day itself, despite the usual early headaches, voting went smoothly. Palacio noted in her end of year report that no petitions for recounts were presented for any election. Nevertheless, The Guardian newspaper of March 16 saw an article written by then member of the Elections and Boundaries Commission and editor Herbert Panton, which criticized the electoral process. For more, see the Guardian article.

A number of media houses joined forces to cover wire-to-wire the events of March 5. Great Belize Television (Channel 5) announced a partnership with RSV Media Center, headlined by LOVE FM, on January 13, 2003.[9] Their coverage used the tagline "Decision 2003."

Later on, Tropical Vision Limited Channel 7 teamed up with fledgling Krem Television and Radio. Their coverage was nicknamed "The Moment" and used "Lose Yourself" by Eminem as its theme song.

Election day began at 5:00 am for workers and 7:00 AM for voters. Voters participated from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM; counting began at 8:00 PM. Palacio reported that Pickstock's result, a victory for Godfrey Smith, was the first official result to come in, at 10:00 PM. By 12:45 AM Thursday morning, the PUP had amassed the majority fifteen seats,[10] and by 1:10 AM could start celebrating as the CEO stamped the particulars. While the UDP had regained 6% of votes over the 1998 results, the PUP still beat them 53-45.

Results

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's United Party53,31453.5422–4
United Democratic Party44,99645.197+4
Independents1,2601.2700
Total99,570100.00290
Valid votes99,57099.18
Invalid/blank votes8220.82
Total votes100,392100.00
Registered voters/turnout126,20279.55
Source: Elections and Boundaries Department

By constituency

[edit]
Division Electorate Turnout % Candidate Party Votes %
Albert 2,286 1,789 78.1 Mark Espat People's United Party 1,482 82.8
Marilyn Williams United Democratic Party 253 14.1
Sydney Fuller Independent 54 3.0
Rejected votes 13 0.7
Belize Rural Central 4,543 3,173 69.8 Ralph Fonseca People's United Party 2,110 66.5
Colin Gillett United Democratic Party 1,063 33.5
Rejected votes 0 0.0
Belize Rural North 3,341 2,707 81.0 Maxwell Samuels People's United Party 1,447 53.5
Felix Sutherland United Democratic Party 1,251 46.2
Rejected votes 9 0.3
Belize Rural South 3,712 2,993 80.6 Manuel Heredia United Democratic Party 1,539 51.4
Anna Patricia Arceo People's United Party 1,430 47.8
Rejected votes 24 0.8
Caribbean Shores 4,023 3,021 75.09 Jose Coye People's United Party 1,592 52.7
Oscar Ayuso United Democratic Party 1,429 47.3
Rejected votes 24 0.8
Cayo Central 6,022 4,846 80.5 Mario Castellanos People's United Party 2,438 50.3
Rene Montero United Democratic Party 2,260 46.6
Eduardo Juan Independent 63 1.3
Ivan Roberts Independent 26 0.5
Rejected votes 58 1.2
Cayo North 6,842 5,672 82.9 Ainslie Leslie People's United Party 2,917 51.4
Dean Williams United Democratic Party 2,707 47.7
Rejected votes 49 0.9
Cayo South 8,344 6,287 75.4 Agripino Cawich People's United Party 3,111 49.5
John Saldivar United Democratic Party 3,087 49.1
Rejected votes 80 1.3
Cayo West 4,656 4,018 86.3 Erwin Contreras United Democratic Party 2,180 54.3
Kendall Mendez People's United Party 1,800 44.8
Rejected votes 3 0.9
Collet 2,848 1892 66.4 Patrick Faber United Democratic Party 948 50.1
Remijio Montejo People's United Party 889 47.0
Paul Jones Independent 55 2.9
Rejected votes 0 0.0
Corozal Bay 5,274 4,058 76.9 Juan Vildo Marin People's United Party 2,089 51.5
Carlos Castillo United Democratic Party 1,827 45.0
Roy Rodriguez Independent 86 2.1
Rejected votes 56 1.4
Corozal North 5,276 3,491 66.2 Valdemar Castillo People's United Party 1,713 49.1
Nemencio Acosta United Democratic Party 1,705 48.8
Felipe Tzul Independent 56 1.6
Rejected votes 17 0.5
Corozal South East 4,752 4,194 88.3 Florencio Marin People's United Party 2,155 51.4
Servando Samos United Democratic Party 1,930 46.0
Hipolito Bautista Independent 62 1.5
Rejected votes 47 1.1
Corozal South West 3,893 3,473 89.2 Gabriel Martinez United Democratic Party 1,835 52.8
Gregorio Garcia People's United Party 1,593 45.9
Lucilo Teck Independent 20 0.6
Rejected votes 25 0.7
Dangriga 4,254 2,914 68.5 Sylvia Flores People's United Party 1,527 52.4
Russell Garcia United Democratic Party 1299 44.6
Ian Caliz Independent 44 1.5
Rejected votes 44 1.5
Fort George 2,067 1,546 74.8 Said Musa People's United Party 1,173 76.6
Carlos Walker United Democratic Party 320 20.9
Francis Gegg Independent 38 2.5
Rejected votes 15 1.0
Freetown 2,510 1,925 76.7 Francis Fonseca People's United Party 1,154 60.0
Douglas Singh United Democratic Party 771 40.0
Rejected votes 0 0.0
Lake Independence 6,176 4,447 72.0 Cordel Hyde People's United Party 2,764 62.2
Anthony Leslie United Democratic Party 1,499 33.7
Patrick Rogers Independent 96 2.5
Hubert Elrington Independent 88 2.0
Rejected votes 61 1.4
Mesopotamia 2,178 1,522 69.9 Michael Finnegan United Democratic Party 1,024 55.8
Phillip Brackett People's United Party 953 44.2
Rejected votes 8 0.5
Orange Walk Central 3,396 2,782 81.9 Johnny Briceno People's United Party 1,713 61.6
Miguel Urbina United Democratic Party 1,050 37.7
Rejected votes 19 0.7
Orange Walk East 5,486 4,590 83.7 Dave Burgos People's United Party 2,400 52.3
Elodio Aragon United Democratic Party 2,144 46.7
Rejected votes 46 1.0
Orange Walk North 5,026 4,324 86.0 Servulo Baeza People's United Party 2,256 52.2
Phillip De La Fuente United Democratic Party 2,040 47.2
Rejected votes 28 0.6
Orange Walk South 5,276 4,675 88.6 Ismael Cal People's United Party 2,655 56.8
Julian Padron United Democratic Party 1,971 42.2
Erwin Sanchez Independent 37 0.8
Rejected votes 12 0.2
Pickstock 1,987 1,611 81.09 Godfrey Smith People's United Party 899 55.8
Wilfred Elrington Independent 439 27.3
Diane Haylock United Democratic Party 252 15.6
Rejected votes 21 1.3
Port Loyola 5,798 4,014 69.2 Anthony Martinez United Democratic Party 2,386 59.4
Dolores Balderamos-García People's United Party 1,565 38.9
Rejected votes 18 0.4
Queen's Square 2,690 2,156 80.2 Dean Barrow United Democratic Party 1,203 55.8
Richard Bradley People's United Party 953 44.2
Rejected votes 17 0.8
Stann Creek West 5,718 4,445 77.7 Rodwell Ferguson People's United Party 2,486 55.9
Glenford Eiley United Democratic Party 1,895 42.6
Michael Flores Independent 30 0.7
Rejected votes 34 0.7
Toledo East 4,269 3,325 77.9 Michael Espat People's United Party 1,757 52.8
Eden Martinez United Democratic Party 1,568 47.2
Rejected votes 39 1.1
Toledo West 4,908 4,349 88.6 Marcial Mes People's United Party 2,368 54.5
Dennis Usher United Democratic Party 1,940 44.6
Leonardo Acal Independent 21 0.5
Rejected votes 20 0.4

References

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  1. ^ Elections Results Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  2. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007. It's official
  3. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007. Governor General dissolves House
  4. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007. UDP replace Morgan in Pickstock
  5. ^ Channel5Belize.COM Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007. PUP confident of victory
  7. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007. UDP focused and ready
  8. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007. Independents have their say
  9. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2007. Channel 5, January 13: Five, Love join for full coverage
  10. ^ "Channel5Belize.COM". Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007. Power to the PUP