by Jerry A. Enriquez

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

As the countdown to next year’s general elections continues, it is evident that both the current People’s United Party (PUP) administration and the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP)—the PUDPs—show little to no commitment to addressing the decades-old malapportionment of electoral constituencies, a glaring constitutional violation. No timeline has been established to ensure redistricting and re-registration before the upcoming general elections, nor has there been any plan to accommodate new electoral candidates for the necessary new divisions.

This PUP administration, given its previous stance, should have known better. Just before the last general elections, when the stalwart Belize Peace Movement sought a court injunction to rectify the constitutional violation, the PUP urgently objected, arguing that they had invested substantial time and resources in election preparations. One would have expected that, out of respect for the population and the Constitution, and in a demonstration of leadership integrity, the administration would have moved swiftly to correct the gross malapportionment after the elections. Furthermore, the establishment of the Ministry of Constitutional Reform, led by the representative of one of the most severely malapportioned electoral divisions, should have been a clear sign of a commitment to rectify this issue. However, the Election and Boundaries Commission’s proposal, which sneakily aims to maintain malapportionment above internationally accepted standards, has so far failed to uphold Belize’s highest law—the Constitution.

Redistricting, typically driven by political actors whose careers depend on how divisional lines are drawn, has been manipulated by the PUDP to strip voters of their voice. The PUDP establishment’s conflict of interest in maintaining this severe malapportionment has disproportionately granted Belize City far more representation than constitutionally required. The severely malapportioned constituencies in Belize City include those of the son and sister of a former prime minister, while the government side has two sons of another former prime minister. Belize City representatives can comfortably manage their severely malapportioned constituencies in far less time and with less resources than representatives in other districts, highlighting the deep conflict of interest that prioritizes the arrogance of familial and political entitlement, and narrow, selfish party interests over broader national concerns.

A recent review of the number of registered voters per electoral division as of July 2024 underscores the stark malapportionment across the country. In nearly all Belize City divisions, except for Lake Independence, the number of registered voters falls significantly below the average. According to international norms, electoral divisions should not deviate by more than 10% and certainly must not exceed 15% of the average.

The most egregiously malapportioned divisions are Mesopotamia and Fort George, both represented by the sons of former prime ministers, and Queen’s Square, represented by the sister of the recent former prime minister. Mesopotamia, with just 2,237 registered voters, falls 65% below the average, requiring nearly 4,162 more voters to be considered a viable constituency. Similarly, Fort George, represented by the Minister of Constitutional Affairs, falls short by 62%, needing an additional 3,953 voters for fair apportionment. Queen’s Square, with 2,607 registered voters, also falls 62% below the average, needing 3,792 more voters for balance.

Other Belize City divisions like Albert and Collet, also fall well below the required average number of voters per division. Albert, with 2,756 registered voters, is 57% below the average, requiring 3,643 more voters, while Collet is 45% below, needing 2,865 more voters.

All other Belize City divisions, except Lake Independence, which falls within acceptable international standards, also show deviations below the average and below international norms. This includes Port Loyola (-23%), Caribbean Shores and Pickstock (-31%), and Freetown (-37%). Each of these divisions requires between 1,458 and 2,362 more voters to be considered fairly apportioned.

Nationally, several divisions also show severe malapportionment. Belize Rural South, with 10,053 registered voters, has 57% more voters, or 3,654 above the mean. Compared to Fort George’s 2,446 voters and Mesopotamia’s 2,237 voters, the disparity is vast. Even when combined, the total voters in Fort George and Mesopotamia (4,683) fall 5,370 short of the number for Belize Rural South. This means that the area representative for Belize Rural South represents 5,370 more voters than the representatives of Fort George and Mesopotamia combined. In fact, the combined totals of four Belize City divisions—Mesopotamia, Fort George, Queen’s Square, and Albert—are needed to match the current number of voters in Belize Rural South.

Stann Creek West is also severely malapportioned with 10,446 voters, which is 4,047 voters more than, or 63% above, the national average. Belmopan, with 10,154 registered voters, is 57% above the average, with 3,755 more voters than necessary for fair apportionment. Other divisions, including Cayo North (36%), Cayo Central (34%), Cayo South (27%), and Orange Walk North (32%), also exceed the mean by significant margins.

The discrepancy in representation is stark. The combined districts of Stann Creek and Toledo, with 32,097 voters (16.2% of the total registered voters), are represented by four area representatives. In contrast, Belize City, with 37,468 voters or 18.9% of total voters, is represented by ten area representatives—more than double the representation despite only a slight increase in total voters.

Belmopan and the five constituencies of the Cayo District, with a combined total of 48,786 registered voters (25% of registered voters nationwide), are represented by six area representatives. Meanwhile, Belize City, with 11,481 fewer registered voters than the Cayo District, stubbornly maintains ten area representatives.

While Stann Creek West has 64% more voters than the average, Mesopotamia and Fort George have 65% and 62% less, respectively, far below the average. The disparity between the largest and smallest divisions raises a critical question: should voters in Belize City be five times more entitled to representation than those in Stann Creek West?

If the 31 electoral divisions across Belize were fairly apportioned, the distribution would be as follows:
· With an average of 6,399 voters per electoral division, Belize Rural, with 22,882 voters, would require 4 electoral divisions.
· Belize City, with 37,346 voters, should have a maximum of 6 electoral divisions, though possibly 5, given its geography compared to other districts.
· The Cayo District, including Belmopan, with 49,214 voters, should be redistricted to 8 electoral divisions.
· Corozal District, with 27,043 voters and the fairest current apportionment, should remain with 4 electoral divisions.
· Orange Walk, with 29,659 voters, would require 5 electoral divisions for fair representation.
· Stann Creek District, with 16,610 voters, would be fairly apportioned with 3 electoral divisions.
· Given its challenging geographical and economic characteristics, the Toledo District should be considered for 3 electoral divisions.

With the demonstrated lack of commitment of the PUDP to abide by the Constitution, which they have sworn to do, it will take the commitment of all unions and civil society organizations to join the Belize Peace Movement in one national voice to ensure that the blatant violations do not continue. If not now, when?