I used to be in Dangriga City earlier than, throughout the election and after the Municipal Elections that had been held all through our nation on March 6, 2024. The Folks’s United Occasion received all of the municipalities besides the dual cities of Santa Elena and San Ignacio.
They received this election as a result of they outspent the United Democratic Occasion considerably by paying individuals more cash to vote for them. In Dangriga City some residents had been saying that they obtained $50.00 for his or her votes. Different residents had been saying, that in addition they obtained cash from the United Democratic Occasion to vote for them however not sufficient. Stories from different districts indicated that the identical factor was occurring of their cities and cities.
It is a observe that each political events have been engaged in throughout their Occasion Conventions and Elections in our nation. That is regardless of the very fact, that we now have Election Legal guidelines in place to ban this observe which aren’t being enforced by both occasion when they’re the federal government in energy.
In Dangriga City and different components of Belize lots of our individuals are; unemployed, dwelling in poverty, dependent and can’t afford to maintain themselves a lot much less their households. Begging on the streets have develop into like a full time employment so why would they vote to remain on monitor whereas going through these humiliating circumstances? Solely God is aware of.
What I witnessed in that Municipal Election of 2024, is painful as a result of they don’t even know what’s the energy of their votes. They’ve endorsed their dwelling circumstances by reelecting a PUP Central Authorities that has no plans to enhance the dwelling circumstances of the poor and dealing class in our nation with employment. It’s estimated that over 600 million {dollars} have been permitted by the Nationwide Meeting since this occasion got here to energy in 2020.
If 100 million {dollars} had been earmarked by this authorities, for a Nationwide Employment Challenge (NEP) to supply jobs, work coaching expertise and job referral applications for our residents, it could scale back unemployment, poverty and dependency in Belize by half. This authorities is now of their fourth 12 months and no such proposal has been introduced ahead to grant our individuals any reduction.
The costs of; meals objects, gasoline, gasoline and different associated objects, have skyrocketed and residents are struggling to outlive. Fuel value impacts the price of most objects and have brought about some residents to be pushing their autos on the streets, as a result of they can’t afford the price of it.
The PUP Authorities of Belize will likely be calling Basic Elections both this 12 months or subsequent 12 months. They really feel assured that they’ll obtain one other five-year time period, with out addressing this critical financial downside our individuals are going through. Now, the people who find themselves struggling should proceed to reside with guarantees that had been made on this election to enhance their dwelling circumstances.
A nation can not develop to its most capability with lots of its residents dwelling in poverty and dependency. It’s the authorities’s accountability to supply incentives for his or her residents to enhance their financial circumstances. If not, lots of our Belizean residents will migrate to the USA to hunt a greater life for themselves. I name on all Belizean residents to start out seeing their votes as their energy and to not proceed promoting their votes to political events to depower themselves.
If they don’t change their mindsets, extra struggling will likely be happening in our nation. The wealthy are getting richer in Belize and the poor are getting poorer and powerless. What a state of situation to be boasting about “democracy.”
