Port Loyola Heats Up: Candidates Ramp Up Efforts as Belize General Elections Near

With twelve days to go before the General Elections, candidates are making last-minute efforts in their constituencies hoping to sway the voters. The Port Loyola constituency has been an area of special interest in this election, with three United Democratic Party candidates going up against the People’s United Party’s Gilroy Usher, who won the seat last election. Usher was a guest on The Morning Show, where he said that he is confident coming into this election because of the work he has put in during the last administration. 

Gilroy Usher, PUP Standard Bearer, Port Loyola: “I’m convinced that my record of service in the division speaks for itself. And let us look at a few things for example. When I took over as the representative for Port Loyola the network of streets in that division was in a very, very terrible state. At the time there were large pot holes right behind the office of the representative. As a matter of fact, I even took the media there to take a picture of the large water holes right behind his office. Okay, since I was elected to office, I’ve paved Curl Thompson Street and upgraded all inlets. We’ve paved  Freedom Street and upgraded the inlets of it also. Secondly, we’ve concreted Penn Road, one of the longest streets in the division all the way from Baldwin Drive up to the Central American Boulevard. That is my focus, continue serving the residents of Port Loyola as the best possible representative because I’m convinced that once I address the needs of the people, then there is no need to worry about competitors and so on.”

Apart from Dr. Nelma Mortis running for the Syne Barrow faction of the UDP, and Philip Willoughby, running for the Tracy Panton faction, former Port Loyola Area rep Anthony Boots Martinez is also running. Martinez came out of political retirement just weeks before the election hoping to secure the area for the UDP, after leading a failed attempt to have Usher recalled last year. He says that his confidence comes from the work he has put in over the years. 

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, UDP Standard Bearer, Port Loyola: “I want to get back. I am a creature of instruction, not an attorney by trade, but I was asked by the people of Port Loyola to. I am the only member of the National Assembly who has debated, presented and debated a constituency budget in 2004 and got result for the people of Port Loyola in the history of the entire National Assembly, I am the only representative who presented and debated a budget for the constituency of Port Loyola and got result.”

And while things continue to heat up on the south side of Belize City, candidates in southern Belize are also working to bring back a victory for their respective parties. PUP Standard Bearer for Stann Creek West has gone on record to say that this will be his easiest election yet, but the UDP’s Ivan Williams doesn’t agree. Williams was also a guest on our morning show this week, and he says that he feels he has a fighting chance against Ferguson.

Ivan Williams, UDP Standard Bearer, Stann Creek West: “As I go around in the communities, I listen to the people. And all around the people are not happy. They’re not happy with the national issues, and they’re not happy with several local issues that are happening within the communities. And so we have a very good chance of winning Stann Creek West. But you know, elections is one on election day. And you all know we have this system where clientelism and funding and all sorts of treats and greets, all kinds of things happened and we are asking voters to be very aware of that. As a matter of fact I’m using a slogan “Level up and Elevate yourself”. And what that really says is that I’m asking people to be conscious of everything around them, to rise up, to mature, to look at the real issues. Don’t vote because of color, but vote and trust. You must trust the person who you’re voting for.”

We’ll keep you updated on all the latest leading up to election day.