And working the process from the other end is the UDP's Cayo Northeast Area Representative Elvin Penner. He's one of the few elected representatives we saw working the ground today - although many UDP ministers had their political operators working on the ground.
Indeed, many of them see this as the battleground that may determine the outcome of the next election.
Make no mistake; a large part of that crowd is the function of pure political muscle, machinery and money. Yes, money. It costs three hundred dollars for an adult to get his or her nationality and one hundred dollar per dependent after that.
And the advantage here goes to the UDP who are using all available means to work - or as the case may be - overwork the system to get their people registered.
Fact is, that's how elections are won, and Cayo Northeast Representative Elvin Penner spoke candidly about the process today:..
Hon. Elvin Penner - UDP's Cayo Northeast Area Representative
"I've been working almost a week, day and night, pretty much day and night. I hope I don't fall down before Friday because Friday is the deadline for registration for the Town Board Elections, as you all know. So we have to make sure that we get all those who can register for the town board in by Friday. So that's going to be another rush on Friday to get everybody in on time. We have a lot of people in our area who have had residency for many years, and who have children up to 20+ years born here in Belize, and who nobody took the time out before to help them out with their nationality. A lot of these people, they don't speak English well. They don't know how to fill out the form, or the procedures. So they need somebody to take them through the process, to make sure that they qualify, first of all, and we bring in the papers here. And once they are qualified here, they can then get their nationality."
Marion Ali - Love News
"You've heard the allegation that all kinds of "hankie pankie" is going on, illegal registration and naturalization. What do you have to say to that?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"Well, I'm sure that from my area, there are none that are going to go through without the complete proper procedure. We have taken out the police records for each every person who qualify. I have about 100+ applications home that I personally felt didn't qualify. I didn't even bring them. I'm going to deal with them later once they can assure me that they qualify, then I will bring them in after elections."
Marion Ali - Love News
"How do you respond to the comment that this is a blatantly political exercise?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"As a politician, we have to do everything possible to get our voters in, even if it's on the last day. But, I just want to assure everybody that those who speculate that something is happening illegally, it will have to be taken up with the department because, like I said, I personally am making sure that I vet them before I bring them here. And they also vet them here a second time, to make sure that they are going in the proper way."
Jules Vasquez
"How many new citizen voters will there be on the list for the 20th deadline in Cayo Northeast?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"We don't know that yet because we are still in the process of doing the interviews. Even at the interview point, they can be rejected."
Jules Vasquez
"Projection?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"Projection, close to a 100, around a hundred."
Jules Vasquez
"Around a hundred, and you expect that how many of them will vote for Elvin Penner?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"Well I believe that if I'm working day and night for them, and they are out here seeing it, I don't think that they would turn their backs on me."
Jules Vasquez
"It also has a cost for you. Each head is $300."
Hon Elvin Penner
"I'm trying to work with them. I've always committed myself from day one when I got into politics that anybody who applied for their nationality, and they qualified, I would pay half of the cost. So, I am telling them that now as well. I will pay half of the cost of nationality. Of course, we do the police record on our own, so there is a cost. But it's of course, to fold; there is a political reason behind it. We want to get out voters in. I won't deny that any at all. I would wish that every politician in the country would do that because this really proves that you are pushing and going the extra mile for you to win your division."
Marion Ali - Love News
"But can you do that with Government Funds?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"No."
Marion Ali - Love News
"How are you doing it?"
Hon. Elvin Penner
"Everything I have to pay for, I'm digging myself into a hole, but I'm sure there will be some good Samaritan who will help me out."
Jules Vasquez
"If you're paying half for 100, that's $15,000."
Hon. Elvin Penner
"And that's about what we had already spent in the paperwork because even those who didn't qualify, we already did their medical reports because we weren't sure if they qualify."
Another UDP political operative we spoke to said they are paying all three hundred dollars for many of the 60 persons they carried to the Immigration office today.
The other side of that of course, is the PUP - who apart from missing out on the rush of new voters - is also calling it Instant citizenship - and we'll have their press conference after the break - but first, here's the weather...
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