BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC—Shyne Barrow, leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), is calling for the authorities to conduct “a meaningful and fair redistricting” exercise before the next general election, which is expected by November this year.
“The UDP joins the Belize Peace Movement, Jeremy Enriquez, Rudolph Morales, and Jessica Tulcey in their fight for redistricting to be completed before the general election is called, and we implore all democratic allies of Belize, civil society, social activists, and guardians of Democracy everywhere to join in this fight. Equal representation matters in our sacred Democracy.”
Trinidad-based Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, a former attorney general, represents Enriquez, Norales, and Tulcey, among others.
Barrow said that when the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) undertook the project two years ago, the UDP had warned that it was doomed from the start. The PUP government politicized the project by unconstitutionally appointing its deputy secretary general and member of the National Assembly, Collet Montejo, to the technical task force.
“The UDP supports all political organizations and individuals in petitioning the High Court for the redistricting exercise to be completed before the next general election. “
Barrow said that, based on the many concerns raised by the UDP throughout the process, “it is clear that this PUP government never intended to undertake meaningful realignment of electoral boundaries.”
He said these concerns include the appointment of a rabid PUP to meddle in the technical work of the Redistricting Task Force, the lack of transparency in the process, the inability to meet deadlines, the resignation of a senior technician from the Task Force, and other partisan interference in the work of the technical team.
“The PUP succeeded in converting this most important democratic undertaking into a blatantly partisan gerrymandering exercise. The political interference resulted in ignoring the internationally accepted 15 percent tolerance levels for voter count per constituency adopting a 25 percent threshold,” Barrow said, noting that this resulted in as much as 50 percent disparity in several constituencies with favorable prospects for several ministers supported by the PUP Old Guard.
He said among several other apparent attempts at gerrymandering, there was also the recommendation to attach the island of Caye Caulker to the mainland Fort George constituency of Henry Charles Usher, the PUP minister responsible for Elections & Boundaries.
“The gerrymandering was so obvious that PUP ministers, outcasts of the Old Guard, joined the UDP in vocal opposition to this abuse of authority, resulting in the eventual death of the redistricting exercise. The report was consequently ordered to be laid on the table in the relevant committee of the House of Representatives where it remains.”
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