People’s United Party Closes Applications for Municipal Elections; Interesting Contests Expected

The period to submit applications to vie in the upcoming municipal elections for the incumbent People’s United Party has closed.  The deadline was at four o’clock today, and by that time, the party had received some 125 application from across the country.  A tally per municipality is still pending, and we are told that the vetting process will commence later this month.  Perhaps the most interesting development for the PUP will be the Belize City Mayoral seat where Bernard Wagner is looking to an endorsement; Allan Pollard is looking to be Mayor, and then there is businessman, Lawrence Ellis who once served as the council’s Sanitation Manager in the 1990s.  Meanwhile, the United Democratic Party has vetted candidates for all nine municipalities and are looking to roll some conventions later this month.  Leader of the Opposition, Moses Barrow, confirmed with our newsroom that they had received an estimated ninety applications back in April/May and have recently concluded the vetting process.  While some applicants for the UDP slate will have to go to convention, slates for Belize City, Punta Gorda and San Pedro are looking at an endorsement.  Our newsroom reached out to Wil Maheia of the Belize Progressive Party to see if he would be fielding any candidates, but he did not respond.  We will keep following the developments as municipal campaigns are looking to kick off in the coming weeks.