Before You Go to Vote, Meet the Toledo Candidates

On Wednesday, registered voters will head to their polling stations to cast their ballots for their favorite candidates in the general election. Polls will be open from seven a.m. to six p.m. Since the election date was announced, News Five has been giving you an in-depth look at the candidates in all thirty-one constituencies. Tonight, as we wrap up this part of our coverage, we bring you the final close-up with the candidates from the Toledo District. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali with the report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Often called the forgotten district, Toledo’s voters will make their voices heard on Wednesday as they choose their representatives for the House of Representatives. They will vote in the Toledo East and Toledo West constituencies. In Toledo East, three candidates are competing. The incumbent, Dr. Osmond Martinez of the PUP, was elected last July to replace the late Mike Espat. He shared with us what he has accomplished since then.

 

Dr. Osmond Martinez, P.U.P Candidate, Toledo East

“We managed to pave so many streets in Punta Gorda, a few villages that didn’t have water now have water. For example, Midway, Machakilha, other villages that didn’t have electricity, such as Corazon now have electricity, San Lucas, San Lucky Strike. In Punta Gorda we also managed to do a lot in terms of fixing up, just rehabilitating those roads that are on the outskirts of Punta Gorda. And then in Bella Vista, there has been a lot of work right now being done in terms of infrastructure road work. Trio, Bladen – in Bladen we managed to secure, through Fyfes, half a million dollars to build a preschool and a primary school. That is almost being completed. We also managed to secure some funding for a kitchen in San Isidro. We managed to do a lot in six months.”

 

Wil Maheia, representing the People’s Nation Party, is challenging Martinez. Although he’s run in several elections before, Maheia believes he has the constituents’ support this time. He also credits his activism for bringing about specific security measures at the Sarstoon.

 

Wil Maheia, P.N.P. Candidate, Toledo East

“They are telling me “This is your turn. This is your chance now. The opportunity is there. We know that you have the stamina. You’ve been at it from 2007. Now we’re 2024, hey, we’re gonna give you a chance. We feel really good. We feel confident. Your record speaks for itself. You’ve always championed the Sarstoon. There’s a million-dollar Forward Operating Base there now. You’re not even in government and because of your advocacy that is done. The one at Hunting Caye, I’m the one who championed for that to happen. So you could see that I could work across party lines. And the one that at Hunting Caye was built during the Barrow administration. The one at Sarstoon was built during the Briceño administration.”

 

For the past fifteen years, the P.N.P. has been around, and at one time, Maheia chose to run in the Fort George Division in Belize City. He clarified that he did not leave the people of Toledo East behind but wanted to demonstrate the importance of redistricting, to balance out areas like Fort George, which is much smaller than Toledo East. Meanwhile, Orlando Muschamp is running as an independent candidate in Toledo East, focusing on improving roads, supporting welfare and social programs for the elderly, and enhancing healthcare.

 

Orlando Muschamp, Independent Candidate Toledo East

“We’re doing bad in Punta Gorda especially when it comes to infrastructure and economic development. Our people are barely putting a plate of food on their table today because of the high costs, the high cost of food. They said that they saved the Belizean dollar; we did not go two to one, but yet we went three to one in the stores where the high cost of food is very high.”

 

Marion Ali

“You were invited to a debate to take part as a candidate on the head panel, but you reached late and then you joined the audience, and instead of subjecting yourself to being questioned, you questioned the other candidates. How do you do that?”

 

Orlando Muschamp

“Strategy.”

 

Marion Ali

“But people wanted to hear from you.”

 

Orlando Muschamp

 ”They did hear from me because the concern is I’m fighting for the people of Punta Guerra who are lack of the lack of the promises they made in 1. 0.”

 

Marion Ali

“ But you weren’t a part of the debate.”

 

Orlando Muschamp

“But the point is myself and Mr. Majeia have been fighting for Toledo and Punta Gorda and all the citizens of Punta Gorda know that, not only on election time, from time to time. Every day we wake up, we see something wrong, we cry, we cry, we cry until we get the government to do it.”

 

Over in Toledo West, there are two candidates. Oscar Requena has been the area representative since 2012.

 

Oscar Requena, P.U.P. Candidate, Toledo West

“We need to continue work on expanding education; certainly, in improving health. We also want to look at infrastructure because infrastructure continues to be a challenge because our communities are growing. We have done a lot of work in infrastructure, but the villages are expanding, so they are asking for farmers’ roads, they’re asking for additional streets, but we have done a lot of work in those areas, similarly with education. For the first time we now have total free education for the high school level.”

 

Alfonso Sanchez Junior is challenging Requena, with Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow leading his campaign. Sanchez Junior is passionate about boosting rural development.

 

Alfonso Sanchez Jr., U.D.P Candidate, Toledo West

“Toledo West has twenty-eight villages, and I would say that there are many in need when it comes to infrastructure, especially when it comes to our farmers. We depend heavily on farming, and of course, access is very important. So providing that access and improving the farm and feeder roads would certainly be a priority for us here across the Toledo West constituency; and of course, besides that, infrastructure as well. When it rains, it rains a lot and of course, access the remote communities, for example, San Benito Poite, Santa Teresa and the bridges that flood in that area – in Blue Creek and, of course, also in San Pedro, Colombia, there’s a bridge that certainly needs renovation and rebuilding. So these are some of the infrastructure developments that are very much needed for access of our people, you know, to be able to reach out to their communities.”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.