People’s United Party Opens Application Window for Municipal Election Candidates

Political parties are gearing up for municipal elections next year. Today, the People’s United Party officially announced that the application window is now open for those wishing to express interest in running either as a counselor or mayoral candidate.  In recent weeks, our newsroom has been asking the incumbents if they will be seeking re-election.  To date, we have heard from Belmopan Mayor, Sharon Palacio and Dangriga Town Mayor Robert Mariano have said that they will be offering themselves up for Mayor either endorsed or by way of convention; however, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wager has expressed a desire to be endorsed.

Sharon Palacio, Mayor of Belmopan: “No, it will never be one term for me. And I will not go ahead and say exactly what it’s going to be but when it comes to my participation it cannot end here.”

Reporter: So the Belmopan people can expect you to run again for mayor ? 

Sharon Palacio, Mayor of Belmopan:  “If you want me to say yes, I’ll say yes with confidence. There’s no way Palacio can just stay as a one term woman. Hell no.”

Robert Mariano, Mayor, Dangriga: “I have offered myself again for a second term to the people of Dangriga. I’m sure that they are pleased with the work that myself and the council have performed over the past two years and three months, and we pledge to continue to do more.”

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City: “It’s a party matter and I made my how I will approach it and I have already conveyed that to the party but at the end of the day it’s a party decision in respect to how they go about it in selecting a mayor. There’s a democracy process of course but I have already conveyed to them how I would return and it’s up to my party. I respect my party. I have made it clear that I would more than likely not go if it’s a convention.”

Speaking on the issue this week, Wagner maintains his position on not wanting to go to convention and stressed he will respect the decision of the PUP. He also said he currently had not given any thought to running for central government. The Municipal Elections are critical for political parties as they mirror public sentiments and help gauge a party’s performance in General Elections. After the United Democratic Party suffered massive rejection at the poles back in the 2020 General Elections, claiming only five of thirty one seats, the municipal elections followed a similar pattern with only one municipality, San Ignacio/Santa Elena, seeing a UDP Mayor and all others going to the PUP.