Opposition Demands Redistricting Before Next General Elections  

Will a redistricting exercise be undertaken before the next general elections? The Belize Peace Movement hopes that such will be the case, while the prime minister says the National Assembly must first decide on the Representation of People’s Act Amendment currently before them. Opposition Leader Moses Barrow believes that the bill will be voted down. He is now demanding that the government undertakes a redistricting exercise before the next general elections.

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“I would hope, because I understand that the bill is going to be voted down because obviously the opposition disagrees. And I understand that there are some members of the government that disagree. What I am saying on record, the opposition supports and demands that redistricting take place before the next general elections. And the same way that bills are presented to the house and taking through all of its stages in one day, I am disappointed and disgusted that that was not done for the Representation of the People’s amendment so that we could vote it down, get a new task force, sand Collett Montejo. No political figure should be on the task force that is comprised of specialists from the different ministries. No deputy secretary general of a political organization should be there unless you will allow all of the secretary generals to be there. Which, I’m still not sure if that is a prudent idea. Let the experts do their job, void of political interference. We call on the government at the next sitting of the House to take the bill through all its stages, and if it is going to be voted down, let us vote it down and let us convene a new redistricting task force without Collett Montejo. Let the experts do their jobs and let them present a map that is in keeping with the constitution of this country.”

 

The Belize Peace Movement wrote to Prime Minister John Briceño on Monday regarding a statement the P.M. made on Thursday of last week to the media. In summary, PM Briceño told reporters that redistricting takes time, and time is limited because the general elections must be held by November 2025. Well, the B.P.M. wrote saying that quote, “there is absolutely no honor in suggesting that the constitutional rights of Belizeans may be denied”, unquote. The B.P.M. once again called on the Briceño Administration to expedite the redivision exercise for fair representation in Belize.