Photo: Anthony “Boots” Martinez, former Port Loyola Area Representative
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 6, 2024
The Elections and Boundaries Department has finally responded to former Port Loyola area representative, Anthony “Boots” Martinez’s letter, who had set a one-week deadline on April 18.
Martinez, who has been actively working for several months to carry out a recall process for the current Port Loyola area rep, Hon. Gilroy Usher, Sr., has hit a bump on the road, as the Department had notified him that his petition was unsuccessful after they noticed that it included some names of unregistered voters along with incorrect signatures.
Out of 1,654 petition forms submitted, only 1,389 were accepted as legitimate.
Disappointed by what he claims was a gross error by the “incompetent” Chief Elections Officer, Martinez issued a letter, dated April 15, to the Department and attached 118 signed declarations of Port Loyola residents whom he said he revisited in the presence of a Justice of the Peace.
This morning he received his response via a letter which was personally delivered to him in Belize City by the Chief Elections Officer herself.
It read, “The Office of the Attorney General, which is responsible for the administration of Government’s legal affairs, has advised that the Recall of Elected Representatives Act, Chapter 9:01 has no provision which empowers the Chief Elections Officer to redo the exercise.”
It further stated, “I am advised that the Act does not require the Chief Elections Officer to undergo any additional exercise by using a Justice of the Peace to verify the signature.”
However, Martinez is claiming that he never asked for a redo, instead, he asked for the officer to do a better job at verifying each signature.
Nevertheless, Martinez, following the guidance of attorneys Richard “Dickie” Bradley and Senior Counsel Dean Barrow (former prime minister), has decided to take the matter to the High Court, where he will be represented by both attorneys.
“By Thursday we’re supposed to have everything ready to file, because timing is important. And in my view, this is trampling on democracy. I am sorry, this cannot get swept under the rug; this cannot get swept under the rug at all. You can’t decide the fate of the people of Port Loyola. The people of Port Loyola did the right thing by signing the petition. Your job is to verify it,” Martinez stated.
With general elections around the corner, Martinez is also cognizant of the fact that the case may hit an extended delay and could be a costly process. However, he said he has faith in the court.
“The people of Port Loyola have kept me in a job so long, so I am qualified, so I can invest in them. I have to make sure that the will of the people be heard,” he added.