B.P.M. Say Redistricting Cannot Be Overlooked  

The Belize Peace Movement has not abandoned its mission to ensure that the government carries out a redistricting exercise to address the current mal-apportioned divisions. In 2019, the B.P.M. filed a claim against the Government of Belize regarding a redistricting exercise which they state is overdue. According to the group, the issue of redistricting is an urgent matter that must be addressed before the next general elections. In July 2023, the Election and Boundaries Commission produced a redistricting report for submission to the National Assembly. However, this proposal was later rejected, as they believed that the percentage for deviation was too high. Today, the B.P.M. spoke out again, to reiterate that this issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Attorney for the B.P.M. Claimants, Arthur Saldivar shared more on the matter.

 

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for BPM Claimants

 “You would have remembered that in July of last year, the Election Boundaries Commission made  some noise about producing a proposal that was laid before Parliament. But shortly after that proposal was laid before Parliament, a number of parliamentarians came public to say that they know that this  document that was laid before that body would not pass muster. It did not meet constitutional standards.  So election boundaries took quite a long time to produce a dud. You know, a lame duck proposal and that lame duck proposal is still sitting before parliament. Noone would want to surmise or believe that election boundaries is either negligent or incompetent. We certainly don’t want to think that they don’t care about our democracy. But the fact that they have done what they have done with taxpayers money, no less, leaves a very bitter taste in our mouths. And it should leave a bitter taste in the mouth of every Belizean.  Because this is not an exercise that requires a whole lot to do. The expert that was appointed by the court in this matter made it clear that this could be done in a matter of hours. Doesn’t take days, doesn’t take months. If objectivity and impartiality rules the day, the only way it takes as long as it has with this particular body of commissioners is that there has been an orchestrated attempt to gerrymander and maneuver figures for political benefit. We were that we won against this because ultimately, the Constitution does not speak to political parties. It speaks to the rights of the people. And it puts the rights of the people above the requirements of the politician.”