Oscar Mira Re-elected in Belmopan for the PUP

Polling in Belmopan started off slowly. In the morning, our cameras struggled to capture any lines at the constituency’s four polling stations. By midday, less than forty percent of the over ten thousand voters had cast their ballots. However, by the time the polls closed at six, Belmopan recorded a sixty percent voter turnout, just shy of the nearly sixty-one percent turnout in the 2020 elections. News Five’s Marion Ali was on the ground in Belmopan on Wednesday and filed this report.

 

Cecilia Ramirez-Smith, Returning Officer, Belmopan

“There are ten thousand, three hundred and eighty-one registered voters in Belmopan and at six p.m., the voter turnout was recorded at approximately sixty percent. The number of votes counted for Ralston Frazer is two hundred and fifteen; the number of votes counted for Oscar Mira is four thousand and nine; the number of votes counted for John Saldivar is one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. There were a total of one hundred and seventy-seven rejected ballots. I hereby declare that the duly elected candidate for the Belmopan electoral division is Oscar Mira.”

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Oscar Mira shared with News Five that his resounding victory was thanks to his strong campaign machinery and the unwavering support of Belmopan voters.

 

Oscar Mira, Area Representative, Belmopan

“The voters who came out today, man, Belmopan is the capital city and Belmopan has shown to me that they want to continue with this leadership and I must thank them from the bottom of my heart because I cannot do this alone. It is a community effort and when we involve everyone, we make sure that we get community results.”

 

Marion Ali

“What’s the first thing that you want to do when you are sworn in?”

 

Oscar Mira

“I want to make sure that we continue the work for Belmopan. There are so many great plans – planBelize 2.0 is about the future of this country and we want to make sure that we follow planBelize 2.0. That is what is guiding us in Belmopan as well.”

 

Even though the final tally showed a sixty percent voter turnout, the morning hours were slow, with voters trickling in at the four polling stations. This slow start gave UDP candidates John Saldivar and Ralston Frazer a boost of encouragement early on.

 

John Saldivar, U.D.P. Candidate, Belmopan

“Normally a low turnout does not favour the incumbent because obviously they are not bringing out their people. We are hoping that our numbers are going to hold up and right now it is so we feel very good.”

 

Marion Ali

“And how effective has your machinery been? It’s now the afternoon hours and sooner or later we’ll be getting to winding down period.”

 

John Saldivar

“I’m very satisfied with our machinery up to this point. When we look at the numbers, vise vie the PUP, we’re doing pretty good.”

 

Ralston Frazer, U.D.P. Candidate, Belmopan

“It’s slow but in my opinion, for me, this slow is good because I see my people coming out. I see them at all three polling stations in Belmopan. I see them coming out.”

 

Marion Ali

“I took a look at the turnout since seven a.m., and it’s just over thirty percent. Is that good or bad? I think from previous trends, that’s very low.”

 

Ralston Frazer

“Yeah from previous trends for the first half of the day, that is very low in my opinion. How is it working in my favour? Like I said earlier, I see them coming out at a satisfactorily good rate, so I am hoping that my eyes are not deceiving me, but that be the case, I am hopeful.”

 

When we caught up with him just past midday, Mira was confident of his victory, despite less than forty percent turnout at that point.

 

Oscar Mira

“My machinery is dynamic; my machinery is full of energy; my machinery di bring out fi we people. If you go to Salvapan you will see that we are working, we’re bringing out our people. We are looking at our data and we are right on track.”

 

In the end, Mira was thrilled with his supporters’ turnout. His vote count was double that of his two opponents combined. Marion Ali for News Five.