Politics - Channel 5 Belize

What’s Next for Cyril Uruwei’s Political Future?

So what becomes of Cyril Garcia’s political future? It’s a question that we asked him in light of the unfavorable news he received last Friday. Aside from launching a signature petition, Garcia says that it’s far from over for him.

Cyril Garcia, Political Aspirant, P.U.P.

“This is certainly not the end for my ambitions. Currently I have about over four hundred registered voters who have signed a petition, I’m talking going around, me and my team getting registered voters to sign a petition and we’re going to get as many as possible and I want to know if the leaders of the People’s United Party will seriously ignore the voices of the Dangriga people. I think what Dangriga really and truly needs is an area representative who will engage with the people and find out exactly what Dangriga truly needs. And when it comes to the powers that be, I think they should really carefully reconsider what they are doing. General elections are near and Dangriga will speak. Personally for me, I was raised in a home where it was all about service, serving others, putting others above self and that’s how I was raised. So living in Dangriga and seeing what has been happening over the couple of years, how our people are treated and ignored, this is one of the main reasons I was moved to do what I am doing. So I wanna ask the people of Dangriga to really look at the two individuals.”

P.U.P. Says Yes to Dr. Einstein Bodden’s Candidacy in Corozal North

Notwithstanding the many application rejections, one political hopeful in Corozal North did get the response he was hoping for from the People’s United Party. Doctor Einstein Bodden has been a medical doctor for the past ten years. He was diagnosed with scoliosis at birth and has been wheelchair bound for his entire life. But that is not stopping him from pursuing his vision to represent Corozal North and differently abled people in parliament. The Corozal North convention is scheduled for July fourteenth. The winner of that convention will face off against U.D.P’s Hugo Patt. We spoke with Doctor Bodden over the phone.

Via Phone: Dr. Einstein Bodden, P.U.P. Convention Candidate, Corozal North

“It was a difficult decision to make. I never came from a politically inclined family meaning that I am from the P.U.P. or U.D.P. My family was very neutral when it came to politics. So, working as the doctor in the area for over several years I have noticed that there is a lot of need in the area. The area in my humble opinion has been abandoned for quite a period of time, at least for the time that I have been there working. As a big fan of plan Belize and working with the NHI I would have liked to see plan Belize roll out more in the area and I haven’t been seeing that as much as I would like. The area has been neglected by the current elected area rep and also the P.U.P. standard bearer so after repeatedly hearing many of the concern by residents I decided to throw my hat into the political arena. After discussing it with close family members and supporters they were like politics is nothing different for you. It is just another challenge in terms of my disability. Being disabled I am aware of the many needs that disabled people go through and I don’t see a lot of those needs are being addressed and so I thought that getting into politics’ I will be a voice for disability as well.”

Francis Fonseca Remains P.U.P. candidate in Freetown

On Wednesday, we asked long-standing Freetown Area Representative Francis Fonseca if he would have been open to going up against anyone in a P.U.P. convention for his seat. Now, this question comes after the party’s national executive has made its decisions, but Fonesca says he was the only applicant in Freetown.

Paul Lopez

“Was there any application to contest your seat in Freetown and as a senior sitting area representative would you have been opened to contesting someone at a convention?”

Francis Fonseca, Area Representative, Freetown

“Yeah, people were free to apply. The prime minister made that clear. Everyone was free to apply. They would have been vetted. The national campaign committee would have looked at it, made a recommendation to the national executive. In the case of Freetown, no. I was the only applicant so, but if somebody had applied that would have been fine with me.”

Nomination Day For Toledo East is July 2nd

As we reported on Tuesday, a writ of election has been signed by Governor General Froyla Tzalam ahead of a by-election in Toledo East on July seventeenth. Three candidates, including the People’s United Party standard bearer Dr. Osmond Martinez, U.D.P. standard bearer Dennis Williams, and P.N.P.’s Wil Maheia will contest the vacant seat. Earlier today, the Elections and Boundaries Department issued a notice that the Nomination Day will be held on Tuesday, July second. The Elections and Boundaries Department has also released a list of polling, nomination and counting stations.

P.U.P. Rejects Cyril Uruwei’s Candidacy in Dangriga

The People’s United Party has written to Cyril Garcia rejecting his application to run against Dangriga Area Representative, Doctor Louis Zabaneh in a convention to elect a new standard bearer for that constituency. On Friday, Garcia, who also goes by the name Cyril Uruwei, received a letter from Secretary General Linsford Castillo informing him that, quote, after careful review and deliberation, the decision was made not to approve your application. Instead, you are asked to support an endorsement of the incumbent at a convention which will be scheduled on a date and at a time and venue to be announced, end quote. News Five spoke with Garcia at Independence Hall following the submission of his application on May twenty-fourth. Here’s what he had to say about the sitting area rep and his belief that there is a faction within the P.U.P. that was working against him.

Cyril “Uruwei” Garcia, Political Aspirant, P.U.P.

“I go around, I move around, I ask people, I always ask, how yoh feel about Dangriga? How yoh feel about the current area rep? And we don’t get no good news about the current area rep Louis Zabaneh and he has two Ph.D.’s, he’s written a book and what’s coming out of the people’s mouths is that he’s not at their level. He appears to be all the way up there and we are the ones crawling on the ground. There’s a few, there’s a handful in the executive in the PUP party who have prematurely endorsed Louis Zabaneh. That is not democracy, it’s premature. We don’t accept it, we reject it and we want a fair chance. We want the people of Dangriga to choose who will represent them, who will talk for them, who will go and ask on their behalf, right. So that’s all we ask, a fair convention. I want to appeal to PM Briceño, you put out a statement stating that anyone can apply within the thirty-one constituencies. Here I am applying and I am appealing to PM Briceno to practice democracy. Be a man of your word. This is your opportunity to show Dangriga that you are a man of your word, that you are honest, you’re truthful and you’re gonna give us a convention. As a matter of fact, we’re demanding a convention.”

Cyril Uruwei is Disappointed with P.U.P. Decision

This afternoon, News Five spoke with Cyril Garcia who says he’s disappointed with the outcome his application.

Cyril “Uruwei” Garcia, Political Aspirant, P.U.P.

“My reaction was, you know, it was a fifty-fifty that I was expecting the type of response that I got, but if I should choose one word, it‘s disappointing because it came without any kind of reason whatsoever. To me, it was quickly drafted up and said, “here.” You know, so, to say the least, I was disappointed.

Isani Cayetano

“Now when we spoke with you on the day of your application being submitted, you kind of alluded to the fact that you wanted this to be a very clean and open process under the tenets of democracy. What made you feel as though perhaps there was something working against you?”

Cyril Garcia

“To be honest, I’ve been going around talking to different people and I have advisors, people who counsel me, people who advise me and I have learned over the couple of weeks that we are, our people, Belizeans, we think within a certain frame of politics and it’s hard to see outside of that. So, as I am going around and talking to different people, I am learning more and more and what I’ve been seeing and hearing the most is that the information that is being given is that you have one set of rules and people tend to make calculations within a certain boundary, nobody seems to want to get out of the box and challenge the powers that be.”

Councilor Allan Pollard’s Application to Contest Port Loyola Seat Denied

The People’s United Party’s executive rejected Deputy Mayor Allan Pollard’s application to challenge sitting Port Loyola Area Representative Gilroy Usher in a convention. Pollard is a three-term Belize City councilor whose candidacy in the Queen Square Division failed in the 2020 general election. He had his eyes set on Port Loyola for the 2025 general election, but his party executive is saying, not so fast. Today, we spoke with Francis Fonseca, a senior member of the party who was in that party executive meeting last week Thursday when the decision was made. Here is what he told us about what went down inside that meeting.

Francis Fonseca, Cabinet Minister

“I think all of us in the party at every level, I know from the leader down, all of us think very highly of Allan. We view him as a very promising young man but there are processes that must be followed in the party. there are structures in the party for a reason. So, people are allowed to apply but then that goes through a vetting process and the national executive is the final step in that process. So, to be the national campaign committee, the vetting committee that made the decision, that they recommended to the national executive that Gilroy usher be the only candidate for Port Loyola. And the national executive accepted that recommendation. That does not mean the party thinks any less of Allan Pollard. He has been a dynamic young candidate for the P.U.P. at the location election level, the city council level. He has topped the polls so we are very proud of Allan so all of us have supported him every way we can. It was the consensus view, certainly not everyone, but the majority agreed that at this time it was best to allow the current area reop who was just elected for the first time in 2020 to build on the success that he has had in Port Loyola.”

Reporter

“Did you support Pollard’s candidacy?”

Francis Fonseca

“I accepted and supported the recommendation of the committee and the vetting committee which supported Gilroy Usher not being challenged.”

Is the P.U.P. An Old Man’s Party?

So, what does the P.U.P.’s decision to reject Allan Pollard’s application for Port Loyola say to Belize’s youth population. Pollard is viewed as a young and promising politician by many, while there are ongoing conversations about the need for the P.U.P. to bridge its generational gap. We heard from Minister Fonseca.

Paul Lopez

“What message do you think this decision is sending to young people and do you agree that there is a generation gap that needs to take place? The P.U.P. is being defined as an old man’s party.”

Francis Fonseca, Cabinet Minister

“None at all, we have wonderful young people in the party working for the P.U.P. IN the city council here in the Belize City we had dynamic young candidates representing the P.U.P. including Allan, but many others, including Kaya Cattouse, Malcom Nunez, many others Eluide Miller, these are dynamic young people who are proud to be members. All the work we are doing is about engaging young people, I know all the work I am doing in education and culture is about engaging with young people, providing more opportunities for young people, so I think people understand that and I think young people understand that they have government in the P.U.P. government in the office that is absolutely committed to their upliftment, absolutely committed to providing greater opportunities for them whether it is jobs, education, housing, land, on all those fronts we are doing everything we can to provide opportunities for young people. In the case of Corozal Bay, that was a recommendation of the process we have in place, recommendation of the vetting committee the national executive accepted that recommendation. We have these structures in place for a reason and so that was what they recommend, and we accepted.”

G.G. Issues Writ of Election for Toledo East By-Election

Governor General Froyla Tzalam has issued a Writ of Election for holding a by-election for the Toledo East Electoral Division. The writ notes that the day appointed for the nomination of candidates is Tuesday, July second. As Prime Minister John Briceño has announced, the by-election will take place on Wednesday, July seventeenth. The Representation of the People Act states that “the persons entitled to vote at the election of a divisional representative must be persons whose names appear on the register for that division, as existing on the Nomination Day. According to the Elections and Boundaries Department, the cut-off-date for persons wishing to be registered as electors and who wish to vote in the upcoming by-election was Monday June tenth. That time has already passed. The department says that the cut-off-date allows the officers to conduct their due diligence on all applications received, which includes the publication of supplementary list and holding of revision court as required by law. Persons applying to be registered as electors after the cut-off-date of will not be eligible to vote in the Toledo East Electoral Division by-election.

Dennis “Desho” Williams Prepares for Toledo East By-Election

As we have reported, the People’s United Party elected Osmond Martinez as its candidate in Toledo East during a recent party convention. He is set to go up against the People’s National Party’s Wil Maheia and the United Democratic Party’s Dennis “Desho” Williams. We heard from Williams for the first time today when he made an appearance on Open Your Eyes. Williams spoke about the challenges that residents are facing in the constituency and a few of his plans to address those issues. Here is a bit of what he had to say this morning.

Dennis “Desho” Williams, U.D.P. Standard Bearer, Toledo East

“I enjoy the satisfaction I get from just assisting people and many of my colleagues told me mein you like to help out, why not take it up. It was a long, hard, though decision because it is not my kind of thing to be in the forefront. I am more of a street soldier for the party and working hard. But I decided to take it up. It is extremely challenging because the size of the constituency alone is extremely difficult. My furthest village is seventy-two miles north, that is Monkey River, then you have sixty miles south. One of the biggest issues in the rural areas is the maya land rights issue. That is the one of the main sticking points and as you go that is one of the questions they ask. And, my response to them is that well I spoke to my party leader Honorable Shyne and he says that we are a law abiding country and if the court rules something then we have to abide by it you know. I am no expert. I just go by what the court says. It does not really affect me, like us living in town. It affects them and their future because they are complaining about the one kilometer outside of their village. They say that is not enough. I spoke to like I said Shyne, he has a lot of connection, we would benefit greatly from a call center in P.G., there is none. We have graduates from U.B., Highschool that has great command of the English language. But they have to leave, and some go to Harvest Caye, some to Belmopan to seek employment and one of the cries I hear from them is that it is difficult to further their education if they have to leave home to find work. So, a simple thing like a call center with five hundred jobs would create a lot of employment and we don’t need central government to do that. When it comes to tourism that is not something we can do right now, but we have the full package when t comes to Toledo, we have the reef, we have the Cayes, the Maya temples, falls, cave tubing, we have everything. But, the B.T.B. has done nothing to create employment there.”