BELIZE CITY, Tues. Feb. 16, 2021– Monday of this week was Nomination Day for the 67 mayoral and councilor-candidates who will be participating in the upcoming municipal elections. Across the country, the candidates along with their two registered voter-endorsers visited various nomination stations across the nine municipalities.

While the UDP has enjoyed a stronghold in six of the nine municipalities, including a minority seat in Dangriga, the leadership of the cities and towns is up for grabs following a historic defeat of the UDP in the general elections.

In Belize City, returning mayor Bernard Wagner and his team of eleven candidates — returning candidates Allan Pollard Jr., Javier Castellanos, Micah Goodin and Albert Vaughan alongside new aspirants Kaya Cattouse, Natasha Pipersburgh, Stephanne Hamilton, Michael Novelo, Deannie Requena and Edmund Kwan — have been nominated to represent the PUP, while mayoral candidate Orson Picart, alongside Alisha Craig, Allan Kelly, Anazette Olivera, Andrew Bradley, Alan Gonzalez, Leon Guild, Meagan Tasher, Shane Williams, Kenny Morgan and Kera Bowman were selected to represent the UDP.

In Belmopan, a new mayoral candidate, Jacklyn Burns, has been selected to lead a team of seven councilor-hopefuls and defend that municipality for the UDP, while Sharon Palacio will lead her team of six aspirants for the PUP. Dangriga’s team will be led by incumbent mayoral candidate Francis Humphreys and his team of six for the UDP while Robert Mariano heads the team for the PUP. In Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Miguel Guerra and his team of six are trying to maintain local government influence for the UDP, while Jorge Rosales and his team of six are contending for the PUP.

Returning mayor of San Ignacio/Santa Elena, Earl Trapp has been nominated alongside his team of six UDP councilor-candidates, while Ramon Quiroz and his team aspire to shift the leadership in that area in favor of the PUP. Farther south, Hansel Warrior will lead the UDP and their six hopefuls to the polls on March 3, while Charles Selgado has been nominated to lead his six for the PUP in Punta Gorda.

In the north, Ruben Gonzalez has been selected to push for a victory for the UDP in San Pedro, while Wally Martinez and his six have been nominated to vie for office for the PUP. Rigo Vellos and his team will defend their stronghold for the blue in Corozal, while Roger Arana has entered the race to lead the UDP 7. Ladrick Sheppard will try to fill the shoes of former mayor and newly elected Minister, Hon. Kevin Bernard of the PUP, along with a team of six, while Orlando Castillo and his team will seek to bring in a victory for the PUP.