_{Photo: Bernard Wagner grants an interview while making his rounds on election day in Belize City}

PUP keeps 8 municipalities, loses 4 seats in SI/SE

Mayor Bernard Wagner makes history with third term in Belize City

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 7, 2024

The excitement of the 2024 municipal elections is now a thing of the past, and the People’s United Party (PUP) Central Government can now breathe a sigh of relief. The election was considered a litmus test on the administration ahead of the General Elections expected in 2025, and they would surely describe it as having passed with flying colours. The mass party won 8 of the 9 municipalities. Those are: Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize City, San Pedro, Belmopan, Benque Viejo, Dangriga and Punta Gorda. According to the preliminary data released by the Elections and Boundaries Department, of the 67 available municipal seats, the PUP retained 61, but lost another four in the Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena (SI/SE) where it had won 5 of 7 seats in 2021. Mayor Earl Trapp, Jr. has now passed into the history books after being elected for a fourth term in San Ignacio/Santa Elena.

Overall, the voter turnout for the 2024 municipal elections is 57.47% of a total 101,190 registered voters. This translates to 58,155 ballots cast. In 2021, the voter turnout was 56.99%. For this municipal election, there were more women voters at 52.16% compared to the male vote of 47.84%.

Overall, the PUP this time obtained 63.23% of votes cast while the UDP received 35.15%. The People’s Development Movement in Belize City garnered 1.18% of the votes and the Belize Progressive Party in Punta Gorda received 0.23%. Independent candidates obtained 0.21% of votes.

By municipality, the highest voter turnout was in Orange Walk where 64.53% of the electorate went out to exercise their right to vote. The lowest participation was in Dangriga which saw 51.27%.

Speaking out of his hometown in Orange Walk on Wednesday night, Prime Minister John Briceño commented, “Well, it certainly looks very good for the party. We’ve been winning all across the country.” He spoke of blowouts in Corozal Town, Belize City, San Pedro and Dangriga, and a massive win in Benque. In a social media post today he congratulated the PUP slates that garnered the resounding “support of our voters.” He added, “The work continues for our people, and the transformation of nation and lives of our people.”

PUP Chairman, Hon. Henry Usher remarked, “It has been decisive victories for the PUP all throughout the country … It is an important litmus test in terms of how we are doing … and I think it is an affirmation of the work being done by the Government. It is an affirmation of Plan Belize, and certainly the people of Belize have signalled that they want to continue to support the Governments of the PUP both at the national and municipal levels to continue the work.” As to the regression in San Ignacio/Santa Elena, he commented, “We have to see what is happening there, and certainly if the numbers continue, then we have to see why that has happened, and we have to do some work there.”

Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow has not yet issued a statement or granted an interview, but we received an internal message shared within the Party’s Whatsapp groups in which he stated, “The gains made in SISE prove we have 3 seats in Cayo; Belmopan City is possible with adjustments; we won the PG Mayor then had it stolen after 2 recounts, thus we can win the General in Toledo East and West. The close race in Dangriga signals a seat, the Belize City 4 seats are sure with Port and Fort George still ours to win. Orange Walk North and East remains ours to win. Corozal North, Bay and Southwest remains ours to win. BRC, BRN and BRS remains ours to win. I have outlined 21 Seats that are ours to win. We as a Party need to short list 18 divisions that have the best chance and pour the resources into those seats. Let us continue rebuilding the UDP!”

The United States Embassy served as an observer for the 2024 municipal election.

BELIZE CITY
Voter turnout: 54.26%
PUP votes: 65.84%
UDP votes: 31.34%
PDM: 2.61%

Bernard Wagner has become the first mayoral candidate to win a third term in Belize City. An attempt had been made by the PUP’s David Fonseca to seek a third term after winning in 1999 and again in 2003. However, he lost in that attempt in 2006. Also, the UDP’s Zenaida Moya was denied by her party in her bid to run for a third consecutive term.

According to party data, Wagner received 12,153 votes, while the UDP’s mayoral candidate, Dr. Nelma Mortis garnered 5,806. Wagner increased his margin of win from the 2021 municipals by 2,086 votes. Dr. Mortis in an interview during election day said, “win, lose or draw,” this is her introduction to politics.

The polls in Belize City were topped by Allan Pollard who obtained 12,574 votes followed by Kaya Cattouse with 12,520 votes and then Eluide Miller who received 12,235 votes.

CITY OF BELMOPAN
Voter turnout: 55.49%
PUP votes: 57.12%
UDP votes: 42.88%

The PUP’s Pablo Cawich led a successful campaign and convinced the voters of Belmopan that if they voted for his slate, there would be a change in City Hall devoid of the clashes with Central Government seen under former Mayor Sharon Palacio. He won with 3,127 votes, while the UDP’s Jacklyn Burns, running for the second time as mayoral candidate, received 2,240 votes.

Working to bring out voters for the UDP was former Belmopan Area Representative, John Saldivar. He admitted that the PUP had more resources, given that they (the UDP) are in Opposition, but he affirmed that they put in the work, and was convinced that they “had the issues on our side.”

COROZAL TOWN
Voter turnout: 60.17%
PUP votes: 65.83%
UDP votes: 33.46%

The PUP’s Rigo Vellos has secured a second term as mayor in the northernmost municipality of Corozal. The blue machinery eclipsed that of the UDP and in the end, the incumbent received practically double the number of votes the UDP garnered.

ORANGE WALK TOWN
Voter turnout: 64.53%
PUP votes: 72.74%
UDP votes: 27.26%

The biggest victory for the PUP in the 2024 municipal elections was in Orange Walk, the hometown of Prime Minister John Briceño. The votes of the PUP team led by incumbent Ladrick Sheppard were almost triple those of the UDP.

SAN PEDRO
Voter turnout: 62.01%
PUP votes: 71.17
UDP votes: 28.65%

Gualberto “Wally” Nunez has been given another mandate by Sanpedranos on Ambergris Caye. His PUP slate garnered 2.5 times more votes than the UDP.

SAN IGNACIO/SANTA ELENA
Voter turnout: 58.70%
UDP votes: 52.23%
PUP votes: 47.52%

For weeks, as the mass parties’ campaigns for the municipal elections were coming to a close, there was a lot of tension on the ground in San Ignacio and Santa Elena. On Election Day, it was no different, and there were a few confrontations. When the dust had settled and the votes were counted, incumbent Mayor Earl Trapp, Jr. had showed his muscle and retained his seat, bringing with him four more councilor candidates than in the 2021 municipals. The sole PUP councilor candidate still standing in SI/SE is Aaron Mai.

DANGRIGA TOWN
Voter turnout: 51.27%
PUP votes: 60.8%
UDP votes: 39.2%

Incumbent Mayor Robert Mariano, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police, held on to his seat in the Culture Capital. He won handsomely over the UDP’s Hubert Lucas.

PUNTA GORDA TOWN
Voter turnout: 61.36%
PUP votes: 51.71%
UDP votes: 38.89%
BPP: 8.41%

While the councillor candidates of the People’s United Party won with a comfortable margin over their competitors from the UDP and the Belize Progressive Party, the race for mayor was a very tight one in Punta Gorda. After a recount, the PUP’s Charles “Obeah” Galvez, a former mayor, breathed a sigh of relief as he emerged victorious over the UDP’s Franklin Polonio, but by a margin of less than 20 votes.