Career Teacher Denied Opportunity in Electoral Politics

Domingo Valerio has been teaching for over three decades in Stann Creek District.  As a resident of Georgetown Village, the career educator has also had his eyes on the Stann Creek West constituency.  But, unlike other hopefuls who at least had an opportunity to submit an application, he was denied from the onset.  That’s what he told News Five earlier today, that he was forced to sit out the 2020 general elections when his bid to challenge Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson was rejected.  He attempted once more to run against Ferguson in a convention but was told upfront that there would not be a convention to elect a new standard bearer.  Here’s Valerio’s story.

 

On the phone: Domingo Valerio, Political Aspirant

“This election that went, I applied and they rejected so I went back and I told them that I was going to contest because so many people had already been requesting a change.  Since I have taught in Stann Creek West for thirty-three years, I thought I could do the job with the assistance of the people who are requesting a change.  So when I applied, I went to the party chairman in Independence, Mr. Emilio Zab, gave him my application.  He said, “What is this?”  I told him, “open it.”  He opened it and stated that Mr. Rodwell Ferguson will not be contested.  He immediately called the [secretary] general and placed him on speaker so that… and he said, “Yes, this is what we planned.  Mr. Rodwell will not be contested due to [the fact that] he has no challenge against Mr. Williams.”  So I do not sit with that, I went all the way to the party office in Belize City on Queen Street.  I spoke with Collet Montejo and I explained to him and he said, have I hit the ground?  I told him yes, I hit the ground and that is why I am interested because people are requesting my presence to represent them.  He said well all the way from the top has decided that there will be no convention against Mr. Rodwell because they came to the ground and they have done their due diligence and they found out that the people are happy with honorable Rodwell, whereby that’s not true.  We had a back-and-forth, myself with Mr. Collet Montejo, but I left there with my application and my application fee because they did not want to take it.  They said if I applied and they have decided, then my thousand dollars is non-refundable and the application form will just be on the table.  That’s the end of my discussion with Mr. Collet Montejo.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“So you received a letter subsequent to that informing you that your application would not have been accepted?”

 

Domingo Valerio

“No, they did not give me any letter.  It is Mr. Montejo who just immediately told me that and t hen the party chairman, Mr. Emilio Zabaneh, told me that in Independence.  There was no follow up with a letter.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“This comes along with the fact that there was an open call, essentially, for anyone interested in running in any of the thirty-one constituencies to offer their names.”

 

Domingo Valerio

“Exactly.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“So what’s your feeling?  Do you feel hard done by the People’s United Party?”

 

Domingo Valerio

“It’s a biasness, I would say, and I feel that I would have done the best if they had given me the challenge to contest honorable Rodwell because one convention, let the people speak and I would be satisfied.”