Posted: Thursday, February 27, 2025. 7:22 am CST.
By Horace Palacio: Prime Minister John Briceño has dismissed concerns over the lack of opposition in Fort George and Pickstock, where Anthony Mahler and Henry Charles Usher were automatically elected after no candidates ran against them.
Briceño rejected the idea that this situation is a failure of democracy, instead arguing that it reflects public satisfaction with the incumbents. “Nobody felt that they wanted a different representative,” he stated. “Anthony Mahler has been doing a great job, so why challenge him?”
The absence of opposition in these constituencies has fueled debates about whether voters were truly given a choice or if democracy is weakened when elections go uncontested. However, Briceño maintains that uncontested victories are a “testament to Belize’s democratic process.”
The lack of UDP candidates in these races has prompted accusations from UDP leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who suggested that PUP operatives paid off potential challengers to withdraw.
Briceño dismissed this claim outright, calling it a “desperate excuse” from an opposition leader who “knows he doesn’t have a chance of winning.” He further claimed that Barrow’s real concern is securing control of UDP party delegates ahead of his re-election as party leader.
PUP Minister Julius Espat took a slightly different stance, arguing that a strong democracy requires a competitive opposition. Briceño, however, stood firm, stating that while competition is healthy, sometimes uncontested elections simply reflect voter confidence in the incumbents.
With general elections fast approaching, the debate continues over whether Belize’s democracy is thriving or facing new challenges.
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The post PM Briceño defends uncontested elections, calls it a victory for democracy appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Prime Minister John Briceño has dismissed concerns over the lack of opposition in Fort George and Pickstock, where Anthony Mahler and Henry Charles Usher were automatically elected after no candidates ran against them.
The post PM Briceño defends uncontested elections, calls it a victory for democracy appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
