It was pitched as young versus not-so-young, innocence versus experience, at the United Democratic Party’s mayoral convention for the Belmopan City Council yesterday.
Newcomer Khalid Belisle, 27, challenged the incumbent, Simeon Lopez, 58, to be the UDP’s mayoral candidate in the upcoming municipal elections. Also on the ticket was Eugene Brown, 21, who is currently a city councilor serving under Lopez.
When the votes were tallied after a convention in which emotions ran high, Mayor Lopez came out on top, with 898 votes to 767 for Belisle and 196 for Brown.
“I am cautiously optimistic,” Lopez said before the count. “I want to continue serving my community,” he added.
Mayor Lopez’s entire slate was also selected to stand for councilors in next March’s municipal elections – Victor Perdomo, Olga Myers, Pedro Carrillo, Tita Balona, and newcomers Shanna Banner and Amilcar Umaña.
Eighteen Belmopan residents offered themselves for office, but only six were selected to form the 7-member council, along with the mayor.
Sunday’s convention, which took place at the Belmopan Civic Center, has been described as one of the most heated in the history of the nation’s capital. Belmopan only became an official city in 1999, when voters decided on the matter in a referendum. There have been three city council elections since then. Anthony Chanona (PUP) was the first mayor, and served for two terms. Lopez (UDP) was elected in 2006.
Belisle, who was the campaign manager for Belmopan area representative John Saldivar in the February 7, 2008 general elections, currently runs Saldivar’s office. Saldivar came out for him Sunday, and brought along two Belize City Cabinet Ministers – Education Minister Patrick Faber and Works Minister Anthony “Boots” Martinez.
Lopez, meanwhile, had the “backative” of the Belize Mayors’ Association. Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya, Corozal Mayor Hilberto Campos, and Orange Walk Mayor Ravell Gonzalez were visibly supporting him.
“The incumbent mayors in the Belize Mayors’ Association, at the last meeting we had, decided that after going through 2 ½ years of difficult times together, we feel that we should support each other,” said Moya.
While Lopez will go on to attempt a second term as mayor in next year’s municipal elections, a political career may also be in the future for his young intra-party opponent, Khalid Belisle. Belisle comes from a staunch UDP family, and is the son of the city administrator, Denton Belisle. In 1998, he was also the first Belizean to attempt, and pass ten CXC’s.
Asked whether this was the beginning of a career in politics, Belisle said, “We’ll see what happens. I’m at a point in my life where I feel I can make a difference in my community, and I feel obligated to make that step.”
An observer spoke with Amandala tonight, and described the convention as “rough.”
Another observer told us that it was possible that the Party Leader, Hon. Dean Barrow, was not pleased with the behavior of certain of his Ministers, and may speak to them about the matter “soon,” which could be as early as tomorrow, when Cabinet meets.