PUP Chairman Dismisses Claims $1 Million Was Spent on Belize City Convention

People’s United Party Chairman Henry Charles Usher has dismissed claims that as much as one million dollars may have been spent in connection with Sunday’s Belize City municipal convention.  The convention, held at ITVET, saw approximately seven hundred and eighty-seven delegates vote to select the party’s mayoral candidate and ten councillor candidates for the March 2027 municipal elections. In the days following the event, speculation emerged over the amount of money spent by the competing camps on their campaigns and convention-day operations.  Usher scoffed at the one-million-dollar estimate, saying he does not know how that figure was calculated. He maintained that there is no evidence to support the claim.

Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, People’s United Party: “I think that whenever you get into a convention, there will be expenses that you have to undertake. There are advertising expenses. Advertising on Channel 5 is very expensive. So that takes a lot of resources to get done. You have banners, you have workers, you have the logistics of the day in terms of bringing out the delegates, having people assist you on a day under your tent, greeters, etc. So getting into politics is an expensive endeavor and you need resources to get it done.”

Reporter: The spending we’ve received reports of at least a million dollars and some people put higher figures. 

Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, People’s United Party:  “I think you guys are exaggerating.”

Reporter: Really? 

Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, People’s United Party: “I don’t see that as being the case. And certainly what we saw there was people coming out to support their candidates, support their team and these things cost money.”

Questions over campaign spending have surfaced following what was a highly competitive convention. However, the PUP Chairman did not provide an official estimate of the total expenditure by the candidates or their respective teams.