Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow firmly asserts that he is the legitimate leader of the U.D.P. and insists there can’t be two groups using the same color. He has written to the Elections and Boundaries Commission about this issue, stating that Taegar-Panton and her group will need to choose a different color for their campaign on election day.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“The Elections and Boundaries will not assign red to any other political organization but the U.D.P. and you cannot have two U.D.P.’s and I am the leader of the one only U.D.P., United Democratic Party and you will see in short order, when nominations come. The Constitution of the country says that the Elections and Boundaries has to consult with the political organizations and you cannot have two leaders of a political organizations. You can’t have two central executives. It doesn’t exist.”
Belize’s general elections are set for March twelfth, 2025, and a recent online poll shows voters have mixed feelings about the timing. The poll asked Belizeans if they thought the election date was a good idea. Most respondents, one thousand, two hundred and two people, said they were ready to vote. Another one hundred and six agreed the timing was right, while three hundred and seventy-two felt it was politically motivated. Seventy-four voters thought more notice should have been given, and one hundred and twenty were undecided. Public comments reflected these mixed feelings. One disillusioned voter said, “I care less. I will still struggle under any of the parties. Let them be happy and continue enriching themselves.” On the other hand, a more enthusiastic supporter declared, “I am excited. I am ready for the P.U.P. Why vote for a party that can’t even decide who their leader is?” The announcement has officially kicked off the campaign season, with political parties rallying their supporters and strategizing for the election. Here at News Five, we’ve started our coverage of the 2025 campaign trail! We’ll be visiting all six districts and interviewing candidates from all thirty-one constituencies. Our station is set to deliver comprehensive, in-depth, and engaging coverage before, during, and after the polls. With the theme “Decision 2025: Show Out or Blowout,” our election programming will provide exclusive insights, expert analysis, and voter perspectives as the nation prepares to decide its future.
After months of speculation, Prime Minister John Briceño finally made the big announcement that Belizeans have been eagerly awaiting: the 2025 elections will be held on March twelfth. With just one month to prepare, we hit the streets of Dangriga in the Stann Creek District to capture the buzz and hear how people are feeling as the big day approaches.
Ramirez Caterino, Dangriga Resident
“I figure we ready because weh really happen that you have people weh different choices of doing things. And some ready like mek we continue, And some might noh ready because certain things might affect ney before. So they might have a little staggering in between.”
Britney Gordon
“Do you exercise your right to vote every election time?”
Ramirez Caterino
“Yes.”
Britney Gordon
“Why do you think it’s important to do so?”
Ramirez Caterino
“I think the important part that you really vote fi ah candidate that you figure more or less can help the area.”
Selvin Gomez
Selvin Gomez, Dangriga Resident
“If we people are ready then we might be there but I don’t see that the money di spend. I think by now Belize supposed to be inna wa betta position, you know? I hear bout wa two hundred and fifty million dollars and up to now like we no di feel the effects ah dat money and I think da bout time now, Belizeans brighten up. Mek we spend some money and mek the people dem feel like we da Belizeans. Da time.”
Delone Palacio
Delone Palacio, Dangriga Resident
“Yes I am ready I think it’s time because we need a new leader. We need new leadership.”
Britney Gordon
“What are you hoping will be the outcome of this next election?”
Delone Palacio
“I hope UDP will win.”
Britney Gordon
“Why are you hoping for that change? What would you like to see change in your community?”
Delone Palacio
“Well I woulda like see wah lotta changes like after the election. Wa lotta changes. Like lotta crime di happen and so so I wish the crime woulda go down and so.”
Britney Gordon
“Why do you think it’s important to vote?”
Dangriga Resident
Dangriga Resident
“At least you have an option. And it’s important to have an option.” 0:44
Britney Gordon
“Are you ready for the 2025 election?”
Delbert Alvarez
Delbert Alvarez, Dangriga Alvarez
“Yes ma’am. I ready because I tiyad ah punish.”
Britney Gordon
“What are you hoping to see change in your life after the election?”
Delbert Alvarez
“We want see ney share with the poor to. Share thing with poor mek we eat a lee breadcrumbs. Right now, we not even di eat lee breadcrumbs.”
Britney Gordon
“Do you vote every election?”
Delone Palacio
“Yes ma’am.”
Britney Gordon
“So you exercise your right to vote.”
Delone Palacio
“Yes I exercise my right at all times.”
Britney Gordon
“Why do you think it’s so important to do that?”
Delone Palacio
“Once you don’t exercise your right you don’t have any say as a Belizean in how the country is run. So I believe you should exercise your right.”
Wayne Golanche
Wayne Golanche
“It very hard right now and thing but I think some people ready. On a whole some people ready and some people noh ready. Because some people still noh di win. Ney seh all ah we fi win but all ah we noh di win.”
Britney Gordon
‘Why do you hesitate to vote sometimes?”
Wayne Galanche
“Well I noh vote none at all because at the end of the day, ney noh support me. Pan the end of the day. I noh know weh fi do. if I fi vote PUP or UDP.”
March 12 of this year is officially the day Belizeans will be marching to the polls and casting their votes, and despite the ongoing legal battle within the United Democratic Party (UDP), Tracy Panton stated today that her faction is “absolutely prepared” for the upcoming elections.
Panton said that the recent “demonstration of the teachers, the sickout by the firefighters, the concerns of the Belize Defence Force, the undercurrence in the public service, and the concerns expressed by our healthcare providers is indicative” of the need for “new leaders to take up the governance of this country,” she said.
While she expressed readiness for Decision 2025, the UDP is yet to come to a common table and come through with mediation. She claimed that Mesopotamia’s area representative, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, is the reason behind the delay in the mediation process. She said, “Shyne Barrow has no interest in sitting and talking, has no interest in finding a solution for the United Democratic Party, and he certainly doesn’t have any interest in us to make our strongest case for the Belizean people to become the next government.” Panton added, “If we are in limbo, it is because he is adamant and he refuses to respect the voices of the people.”
In about 30 days from today, the ballots will be in the hands of many Belizeans, and reports made by Hot Off the Press suggested that the Election and Boundaries Commission had recognised two factions of the UDP and would allow both to use the traditional red party colour on official ballots.
Panton stated that the 31 candidates under the UDP flag include candidates that support her leadership and those that support that of the “status quo because the institution and the colour red, they believe, are going to be a determining factor in the next election—that is their prerogative,” she said.
Barrow and his legal team did not hold back and formally requested clarification from the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) regarding recent reports about ballot designations for the 2025 general elections in a letter issued on February 10. The letter, sent by attorney Christopher P. Malcolm, challenges the claims that the EBC would allow two factions of the UDP to use the party’s red colour on ballots. Malcolm warned that any such decision would overstep the EBC’s authority and urged a swift public clarification to prevent misleading the public and damaging the electoral process.
With a date now set for Election Day, will the UDP come forward in mediation? Panton stands in that “the people in the United Democratic Party can be assured that our action that we in good conscience and good faith have done everything we humanly can to find a solution. Shyne has expressed zero interest in that matter. In fact, he has used the narrative to suggest that we are weak because we want to sit at the table.” She added, “I am a member of the United Democratic Party, and Shyne Barrow or his attorney cannot declare me not a member.”
Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam has officially proclaimed Wednesday, March 12, 2025, as the date for Belize’s general elections, following the dissolution of the National Assembly on February 11, 2025.
The proclamation, issued under Section 85(1) of the Belize Constitution, grants the Governor-General the authority to set an election date within three months of Parliament’s dissolution, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister. In accordance with this provision, Belizeans will now head to the polls on March 12 to elect a new House of Representatives.
The announcement officially sets the stage for an intense campaign season, with political parties mobilising their supporters and finalising their strategies ahead of Nomination Day on February 24, 2025.
The Elections and Boundaries Department has officially announced that the cut-off date for voter eligibility in the upcoming March 12, 2025, General Election was January 10, 2025. This means that only individuals whose names appeared on the electoral register as of Nomination Day, February 24, 2025, will be allowed to vote.
The department clarified that the cut-off date is necessary to ensure all applications undergo the required verification process, which includes the publication of supplementary lists and the revision court process mandated by law. Individuals who applied for voter registration after January 10, 2025, will not be eligible to participate in the upcoming election.
Additionally, the department is urging individuals who registered since July 2, 2018, but have not yet collected their voter identification cards, to do so as soon as possible.
Brian Guardado, founder of the We Walk As One Foundation, has strongly criticised Patrick Faber for his remarks in the House of Representatives following the tragic death of Gabriel Orellano, a child with special needs who drowned in Belize City.
In a statement, Guardado expressed disappointment over Faber’s dismissive comments regarding the public’s decision to wear blue in support of Gabriel’s cause. He said that every small act of awareness matters and should be encouraged, not ridiculed.
He called out Faber’s tenure as Minister of Education, questioning what real efforts were made to support children with autism and improve institutions like Stella Maris School. “The question that we must all ask ourselves is this: Had the Ministry of Education, under his leadership or any other leadership, addressed the needs of children with autism in a meaningful way, could this tragedy have been prevented? Our children deserve more than rhetoric; they deserve action.”
Before his speech, Faber asked the House for a minute of silence in Gabriel’s memory. He addressed the growing concerns over child safety and school attendance, noting the complex social challenges that contribute to the issue. He noted that while the Ministry of Education is responsible for ensuring children remain in school, the task is far from simple.
Faber acknowledged the School Warden Program, crediting Cordel Hyde for its introduction and affirming that it had been supported throughout the UDP’s 13 years in government. He also pointed to efforts by school management to secure campuses with fences and deploy truancy officers or school liaison officers, tasked with monitoring absentee students and engaging with parents.
However, Faber pushed back against the notion that addressing truancy is a straightforward matter, noting that many parents struggle with economic hardships and multiple dependents. Arresting parents for failing to send their children to school, he argued, could further destabilise families, leaving other children without a guardian.
While recognising recent stakeholder discussions on improving attendance, Faber stressed that systemic issues need to be tackled to create a truly safe and supportive educational environment for Belizean children.
5-month-old baby Ishmael Villamil is in need of your help so that he can undergo a life-saving surgery. Born prematurely at just 28 weeks on September 11, 2024, baby Ishmael weighed only 2 pounds, 2 ounces.
His early birth caused complications, including underdeveloped lungs and hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid builds up in the brain, leading to pressure and potential brain damage. In November 2024, baby Ishmael underwent surgery to place a shunt to drain the fluid building in his brain.
Today, baby Ishmael turned exactly 5 months, and his parents, Jennifer Larios and Eusebio Villamil, are once again in a very difficult position. Jennifer told us that only one month after the first surgery, baby Ishmael’s head started growing again. She said, “I sent a video to the doctor that did the surgery on him, and he told me to bring in the baby.”
She added that after the doctor’s assessment, it was revealed that the “shunt isn’t working anymore. They also realised that my son has a complication with his lungs, once again.”
Doctors have given Ishmael less than a year to live, but Jennifer and Alberto have chosen to fight for their precious baby. “He’s 5 months, and he’s so tiny for his age, but we see him fighting so much that we had like four doctors holding him down just to find an IV,” Jennifer said.
“The doctors, they realised how strong he is and how he wants to fight,” she added. “If he doesn’t want to give up, why should we—why should I as a mom give up on him?”
Jennifer and Eusebio are now trying to raise at least $12,000 for a second surgery that could give baby Ishmael a fighting chance. This time around, the surgery would be to fix the shunt “and place it the way to where it belongs so it can function the way it should,” Jennifer added.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep him here with us,” she said.
Anyone who would like to help baby Ishmael can make donations to the following bank accounts:
Belize Bank, Eusebio Alberto Villamil, account number: 255 502 010 160000
Belize Bank, Jennifer Lizeth Larios, account number 246 491 010 160000
Ishmael’s mother can be contacted directly at 630-4946.
A serious mould infestation at the Lower Courts building in Belize City has led to health issues among staff, forcing employees to take drastic action in demanding a permanent solution. Workers have reported suffering from kidney problems, migraines, and chest pains, all of which they attribute to prolonged exposure to the mould.
One worker told News Five, “We currently have a mould problem, and our staff, everybody, complain about the same issue. Kidney, migraine, chest pain. So, we just decided that we will just walk out and make them decide what they need to do because people get sick. When we don’t come to work, we become short of staff. Everybody has to pick up each other’s work and stuff. So, they need to figure it out.”
Despite repeated complaints, they say no effective measures have been taken to resolve the problem. “They have said that they’re trying to work on it, but it’s nothing so far. So, we just decide as a staff that we need to take action to make them decide what they will do now. Don’t give us no small solutions. We need a big solution to fix the problem right away.”
According to the employee, the mould infestation has significantly impacted daily court operations, which handle criminal, civil, and traffic matters and collect government revenue.
With court staff unable to work in the building, public services have been disrupted, creating delays and inefficiencies in the judicial system. “If we don’t work, how will the public get assistance? How will the government collect its funds?” the employee questioned.
The staff, estimated at around 30 to 40 employees, has now reached a breaking point, insisting that authorities take immediate and decisive action. They warn that failing to address the problem could further affect court operations, delaying justice and services for the public.
The government has officially constituted the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal to address an ongoing industrial dispute between the Christian Workers Union (CWU) and Port of Belize Limited (PBL).
The tribunal was formed following a January 31, 2025 letter from the CWU, which invoked a 21-day notice of industrial action in accordance with the Settlement of Disputes in Essential Services Act, Chapter 298 of Belizean law. In response, on February 3, 2025, the Minister of Labour referred the matter to arbitration before the notice period expired, ensuring that the dispute is handled through legal mediation.
Tribunal Members
The appointed tribunal members include:
🔹 William Lindo – Chairman (Minister’s nominee)
🔹Carlos Magana – Minister’s nominee
🔹Arturo Lizarraga – Minister’s nominee
🔹Marcello Blake – Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry nominee
🔹Clifford Martinez – National Trade Union Congress of Belize nominee
The tribunal’s primary role is to facilitate fair resolutions to trade disputes while maintaining industrial harmony. The ministry has called on both the CWU and PBL to engage constructively with the tribunal to reach a mutually beneficial settlement.
Under Chapter 298 of the Act, no industrial action is permitted while the matter is under tribunal review.
