BPP Targets Victory in Punta Gorda

Both the country’s main political parties have secured their municipal slates for the 2024 elections.  Aside from the People’s Democratic Movement, the Belize Progressive Party is the only other third party that is looking to put up a slate.  Love News understands the party is focusing on winning in their hometown, Punta Gorda Town.  According to the leader of the BPP, Wil Maheia, he is certain of a victory in that municipality.

Wil Maheia, Leader, Belize Progressive Party: “We are focusing on one slate and we’re focusing on the slate in PG. As you know that is our base and that is where we are and that is where we are strongest so I am confident that we have the best Candidate that PG people will ever have when it comes to an election for the Mayor of Punta Gorda Town. We have Teacher Anita Nicholas who has been a member of the Belize National Teachers’ Union for about twenty five years. She’s been in the teaching profession for about the same. She’s a real community leader. She is active at her school, she’s active in the town so we believe that she’s got a clean record. She has taken up the challenge to run for the Mayor for the Belize Progressive Party.”

Reporter: How difficult was it to maybe put together slates in other municipalities ? 

Wil Maheia, Leader, Belize Progressive Party: “Well you know what we do we appeal to people in other municipalities to take the lead. We’re not like the other parties that everything is decided from Belize City. So if a municipality would call us and say they want to field a candidate then we would consider it, we would vet them and things like that but right now because we’re not as well financed as the bigger parties we’re focused on winning Punta Gorda Town. We know we have a good relationship with the government. We can dialogue with the government. When we win there will be a working relationship between us and the government.”

Given the party’s dwindling performance in the political arena, Maheia was asked if he believes the BPP remains a viable alternative to the two mainstream political parties. 

Wil Maheia, Leader, Belize Progressive Party: “Well you know we have analyzed the situation and we believe that in the past we have diluted our efforts by trying to stretch ourselves too thin. So this election we’re doing something different, we’re focusing on a win in Punta Gorda so instead of trying to field candidates in all municipalities and since we’re not well financed like those big parties we have condensed all our efforts to one municipality Punta Gorda and probably Dangriga but right now we’re focusing on Punta Gorda and that’s where we are focusing on. Like I said we don’t want to dilute our strength by trying to field candidates across the country. We will show the people that we are a winnable party.”

Reporter: Has there been any thought in terms of joining forces with other independent parties or independent candidates throughout the country ? 

Wil Maheia, Leader, Belize Progressive Party: “We are open to that but like I said we don’t want to dilute our energies. We want to focus on Punta Gorda, we will win Punta Gorda and when we win Punta Gorda the rest of the country will see that a third party is definitely winnable.”

Maheia added that the party is still open to fielding candidates in other districts.