Redistricting Before Elections Unlikely, Government Blames Delays on Legal Hurdles

While the Prime Minister says the redistricting exercise will not be done before the general elections, his administration says it isn’t their fault. Last year, the Belize Peace Movement took the government to court in hopes of forcing the government to carry out the exercise before the elections. The group believes that while a redistricting report was created and tabled in the House, the government had no intention of making real changes to the political landscape. They are now hoping that the courts implement a ruling that will force the government to take action. Minister of Political and Constitutional Reform Henry Charles Usher rejected the group’s notion this week and explained some of the key factors that hindered the exercise. 

According to Usher, while the commission did not have all the information it needed, the group now has access to the pertinent information but is faced with some other hiccups. 

The government is being represented in the matter by Senior Counsels Eamon Courtenay and Godfrey Smith.