Does Belize’s Constitution Address Wipeouts in Parliament?

If the People’s United Party manages to pull off a thirty-one-to-zero victory in the upcoming general election, does the Belize Constitution have anything to say about it? Historically, a clean sweep has only happened twice, and both times were before Belize gained independence in 1981. Vernon explains that such a landslide win would give the Prime Minister significant power to advise the Governor General on appointments to key bodies like the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the Public Utilities Commission, among others.

 

Dr. Dylan Vernon, Political Scientist

“The PUP is so strong that its margins of victory in the constituencies that it won so large that the UDP making up ground is going to be extremely difficult.  So even if there was to be a reuniting of somehow before the next general election, my view is that there will be another term for the People’s United Party.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“If for whatever reason, there is a clean sweep at the polls in the next general election, what is there constitutionally, perhaps by way of a mechanism or some system in place that would allow for a Leader of the Opposition to be appointed in this case or for there to be any form of recognized, parliamentary recognized opposition?”

 

Dylan Vernon

“First it’s important to understand that there have been twice, two times in the history of Belize, before independence, 1957 and 1961, when the PUP won clean sweeps.  But that was before independence, the ’61 one, the governor had appointed Philip Goldson, although unelected, to the house.  Since then, we haven’t had one.  One of the things I said in my blog is that if any year since independence if there is even a slim chance of it happening, it could be this year because of what we just described, the polar sort of opposites of where the political parties are, the two main political parties.  Constitutionally, the constitution does envision some aspect of what could happen if there is a clean sweep.  For example, it says if there is no opposition at all, in the house, to the government, if no opposition wins, that the prime minister would then, let me rephrase that, that there will be no requirement that will be there for there to be any consultation or concurrence of the Leader of the Opposition because there is none.  Because there is no requirement, it means that the prime minister would be the one who would consult or be given concurrence, would be the one to advise the governor general who to appoint to all the bodies and posts that constitutionally require appointments.”