_{(l-r) Melvin Hewlett, Dean Samuels Norman Usher, Dennis Williams and Rayman Rivers (not pictured)}

5 no-shows for SBUDP

by William Ysaguirre (freelance reporter)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Feb. 24, 2025

Nomination Day 2025 delivered an easy victory for the Peoples United Party (PUP) in at least two divisions when the electorate witnessed the unprecedented phenomenon of five candidates presented by Opposition leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow of the United Democratic Party (SBUDP) failing to present themselves on the ballot on Monday, February 24.

_{PUP victorious Henry Charles Usher and Anthony Mahler}

Fort George representative Hon. Henry Charles Usher and Pickstock area representative Hon. Anthony Mahler are the sole individuals on the ballot in their respective areas, after the SBUDP’s Melvin Hewlett (Fort George) and Dean Samuels (Pickstock) did not show up on nomination day. Dangriga representative Hon. Louis Zabaneh, PhD, and Toledo East representative Hon. Osmond Martinez, PhD, were given a far easier path to the House of Representatives after the SBUDP’s Norman Usher (Dangriga) and Dennis Williams (Toledo East) also didn’t put their names on the ballot. The Shyne UDP also proposed Raymond Rivers to challenge UDP incumbent Patrick Faber in Collet, and PUP standard bearer Devin Daly, but Rivers was also a no-show on nomination day.

_{Massive PUP supporters on Nomination Day}

The People’s United Party rallied a massive turnout of supporters for the 10 Belize City candidates to be nominated at the Belize City Civic Center, where Hon. Henry Charles Usher promised “more blessings” based on the five pillars of Plan Belize 2020: education, health, land, housing, and jobs. The party’s full manifesto, Plan Belize 2.0, which will be unveiled on Thursday night, February 27. will also include other initiatives for citizen’s security and infrastructure development. Reports from around the country were of similar massive support for the PUP candidates as they were nominated in their respective constituencies.

_{PUP Hon. Cordel Hyde}

Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Cordel Hyde was enthused by the massive turnout of PUP supporters, and he acknowledged that the unprecedented UDP disarray and division, splitting the opposition votes, could pave the way for a PUP victory, even in constituencies that were formerly considered UDP strongholds. Looking beyond the elections, he promised that new legislation has been drafted to regulate the real estate industry.

In total, 75 candidates were nominated: 31 PUP; 22 from Shyne Barrow’s UDP (SBUDP); 14 from the faction of the UDP led by Hon. Tracy Panton (TPUDP); 4 from the People’s Democratic Movement; and 5 independent candidates also tossed their hats into the ring.

Both Yara Cal Villeda of the SBUDP and Denny Grijalva of the TPUDP challenge Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño in Orange Walk Central; while SBUDP’s German Tillett vies for Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai’s seat in Orange Walk South; SBUDP’s Carlos Zetina takes on Hon. Ramon Cervantes, Jr. in Orange Walk North; and Marlo Perrera of the TPUDP challenges Hon. Kevin Bernard in Orange Walk East.

The SBUDP’s Martin Rivera challenges Hon. Ramiro Ramirez in Corozal South West; SBUDP’s Tony Herrera seeks to unseat Hon. Florencio Marin, Jr. in Corozal South East; and PUP’s David Castillo seeks to unseat SBUDP incumbent, Hon. Hugo Patt in Corozal North. PUP nominee Thea Garcia Ramirez seeks to unseat Hon. Elvia Vega-Samos, who now seeks re-election as an independent candidate, and they are both challenged by the TPUDP’s Hernan Riverol.

_{Tracy Panton UDP – (l-r) Lee Mark Chang, Andrew Bradley, Tracy Panton, Godwin Haylock, Patrick Faber, Philip Willoughby and Cecil Jenkins.}

Albert area representative Hon. Tracy Panton led a united slate of seven TPUDP candidates for Belize City. In her division she faces challenges from PUP aspirant Kaya Cattouse, SBUDP civil rights activist Jose Espat, and Cornelio Galvez of the Belize Peoples Movement (BPM). Both TPUDP’s Andrew Bradley and SBUDP’s Tyrone Louriano seek to unseat Hon. Kareem Musa in Caribbean Shores; TPUDP’s Cecil Jenkins challenges the Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde in Lake Independence; and SBUDP’s Abraham Flowers wants Hon. Francis Fonseca’s seat in Freetown.

Hon. Gilroy Usher, Sr. faces the hottest race in Port Loyola, with challenges from SBUDP’s Nelma Mortis Jones PhD, TPUDP’s Philip Willoughby, PDM’s Wilmore Tablada, and former UDP Port Loyola representative, Anthony “Boots” Martinez, now running as an independent candidate. Martinez promised nothing new, just to continue the hard work he has done for the people of Port Loyola since the 1990s.

_{SBUDP Moses “Shyne” Barrow}

Raymond Rivers’ no-show to be nominated as Shyne’s UDP candidate in Collet does not concede an easy victory to TPUDP incumbent Hon. Patrick Faber, as PUP’s Devin Daly believes he can serve the people of Collet better. Shyne Barrow himself faces challenges in Mesopotamia from Lee Mark Chang of the TPUDP and PUP aspirant Lawrence Ellis. In Queen’s Square, Denise “Sista B” Barrow has stepped aside for attorney Godwin Haylock of the TPUDP, who faces challenges from SBUDP’s Shane Williams, the PUP’s Lorna McKay, PhD, and PDM’s Gary Matus.

Both SBUDP’s David Almendarez and TPUDP’s Beverly Williams challenge PUP incumbent Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia in Belize Rural Central; while SBUDP’s Mahmoud “Davi” Lagha, TPUDP’s Manuel Heredia, Jr., and Thomas Greenwood of the Belize Popular Front challenge PUP’s Hon. Andre Perez in Belize Rural South. PUP incumbent Marconi Leal, Sr. stepped down in Belize Rural North for health reasons and to make way for his son, Marconi Leal, Jr. as the PUP candidate, who will be challenged by SBUDP’s Eustace Shaw,

In the South, both SBUDP’s Macario Augustine, Jr. and TPUDP’s Ivan Williams seek to unseat PUP’s Hon. Rodwell Ferguson in Stann Creek West; and SBUDP’s Alfonso Sanchez wants PUP’s Hon. Oscar Requeña’s seat in Toledo West.  In Toledo East, Hon. Osmond Martinez, PhD, faces opposition from Wil Maheia of the Belize Territorial Volunteers.

Out west, SBUDP’s Mark O’Brien challenges PUP incumbent Hon Alex Balona in Cayo Central; SBUDP’s Miguel Guerra seeks to unseat Jorge “Millin” Espat in Cayo West; and PUP incumbent Hon. Julius Espat faces challenges from SBUDP’s Martin Rivera and June Young, PhD, of the TPUDP in Cayo South. SBUDP’s Omar Figueroa challenges PUP incumbent Hon. Michel Chebat in Cayo North; SBUDP’s Albert Fernandez takes on PUP incumbent Hon. Orlando Habet in Cayo North East; and both SBUDP’s Ralston Frazer and John Saldivar of the TPUDP are challenging PUP’s Hon. Oscar Mira in Belmopan.