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Municipal Elections are only two days away and this weekend we travelled to the Capital City where both major mass parties were on the campaign trail. While this is not considered one of the hotter races, there is a peculiar dynamic at work – and we found out about it.

Jules Vasquez Reporting,
On a Sunday afternoon Belmopan Mayor Simeon Lopez strode confidently down Macal Street. His is a familiar face in the Capital. He's been Mayor for three years and as a career teacher, he taught many of the residents of Belmopan, or at least their children. And while familiarity is a plus, this incumbent concedes it can also hurt.

Jules Vasquez,
What have you experienced this time around that you didn't experience in 2006?

Mayor Simeon Lopez, Belmopan
"Mainly the number of questions of why we didn't do this and we didn't do that and the saying says uneasy lies the head that wears the crown and so everybody now is questioning us on a number of things. When we were the opposition is it was so much easier. Not that it is too difficult now because we have tried our best. That is what we are experiencing; we have to meet some tough questions."

Rosalie Casey doesn't have that challenge. The PUP candidate is a lifetime public officer now retired who's a newcomer to politics – but says she's no new kid on the block.

Rosalie Casey, PUP Candidate for Mayor
"I am a newcomer in some respect, in the political arena, but I have served Mr. George Price as his personal secretary for eight and a half years. I have worked in the government service, I have worked with every Minister of government and on top of that my career has had in positions where I have had to work tooth and nail for this country; day and night non-stop."

Casey's councillors are also mostly newcomers – but that hasn't put a damper on their confidence. We met them in Salvapan, campaigning into the evening low on experience but high on hope.

Jules Vasquez,
What's your background and why did you choose to get involved?

Mervin Humphreys Sr., PUP Councillor Candidate
"Oh that would take kind a long, very long time but I am a born politician."

Iris Cuello, PUP Councillor Candidate
"The need is out there and I feel that young people need to be out there more. We need to show everybody that we can do it. We have the vision and we have the talents and if you want to bring out Belmopan and make it a better place to live you need to get out there, show your face, and be able for people to see that young people are the future and we are here."

William Grant Jr., PUP Councillor Candidate
"I choose to get in because I believe that I could make a difference in the community. I am young, energetic, and willing to take up any challenge."

Jules Vasquez,
I would challenge you and say that you're also inexperienced and not schooled in running a city. How would you respond to that?

William Grant Jr.,
"Well inexperienced and not schooled to run the city, I am not the only one. You could pick out the numbers that on Mr. Lopez's slate that is inexperienced and not schooled to run a city also."

Shanna Banner would be one of those – one of two newcomers on the UDP slate.

Shanna Banner, UDP Councillor Candidate
"Jules I have been serving my community in many capacities and when I say served I have been working with a cross section of people from Belmopan, serving my community to the best of my ability."

Amilcar Umana, UDP Councillor Candidate
"I've been an educator for 18 years and I think I've touched many lives. I've also been a activist in my community. From the age of 12 I was involved in sports. I've served in village councils, I've served on water boards in the village where I grew up. I migrated to Belmopan seven years ago and I think it is time that I step in and work for the city of Belmopan as well."

And Amilcar Umana's presence on the slate is important – as an immigrant who made his life in Belize – he represents that part of the slate composed to appeal to the large Hispanic community that now make up Belmopan.

Jules Vasquez,
Is it an important element on a slate to have a candidate that appeals to the broad cross section of Central American immigrants who are now Belizeans who live in the Salvapan, San Martin, Maya Mopan communities that are part of Belmopan?

Amilcar Umana,
"Certainly. I think the cross section is very important. If you look at our slate we have that cross section that we want. We have representation from the many ethnic groups in the city and so that connection with the Hispanic community is certainly something you would want in a city council."

Francisco Orellano knows that well. He is the first candidate we've met in mass party politics who speaks only Spanish.

Francisco Orellano, PUP Councillor Candidate
"I want to serve my country. In the first place, I feel that the UDP has much discrimination especially for the Hispanic people."

And while that is an issue that the PUP hope to capitalize on, for the UDP, it's all about experience.

Tita Balona, UDP Hopeful

"We have a strong slate so I think we can work together and get the job done here in Belmopan."

Olga Myers, UDP Councillor Candidate
"They know each of us, they know what we are capable of doing character wise, educational wise, and professionally wise. So when you look at our slate, there is no doubt that we have the better slate. There is absolutely no doubt."

Jose Ico, PUP Councillor Candidate
"Let not the other group say that this fairly new team here, no – we might not be experienced all of us but sure we have talents because we are going to speak to the residents of the city in the language that they understand. My friend we have talents on this team. If I didn't see that, I think would have probably been sleeping. But this is the chance for the residents of Belmopan to take the city back. Not for us, we are going to be as transparent as possible. We are going to use every penny that they give us to City Hall to restore back those services that they long for."

Jules Vasquez,
But if you bring that up I have to bring up the fact that the former Mayor, Mr. Chanona is not campaigning with you all. Is that a demonstration of a lack of confidence?

Jose Ico,
"You might not see him here but last week, last two weeks, in fact there are many things that he comes on board. But we understand here that if we want the job, we are the ones that need to be visible on the street."

And while the PUP was without their most successful former Mayor, the UDP was without John Saldivar, their area representative.

Jules Vasquez,
Are you disappointed in some sense that the inter-party rivalries that have affected this team, John Saldivar to the Mayor and also the young Mr. Belisle, the challenge and how that has affected the party, the nastiness of that convention. Do you regret that those things have occurred?

Olga Myers,
"I do, I will honestly say I do because prior to that we all worked as one team to get our Area Representative elected. There was no doubt whether he was capable or we don't want him there. We had one thing in mind and it was to get him elected. So when he decided that we are of no use to him anymore, because we are old, he wanted a young slate. That is his prerogative. But we know what we want."

Jules Vasquez,
How much of an injury has the rivalry between your council and the Area Representative John Saldivar been and have you all mended it sufficiently to unite and win an election?

Victor Perdomo, UDP Councillor Candidate
"That is a tricky one. Well the detriment is to Mr. Saldivar because I think we have proven ourselves in office over the last three years and he has to prove himself yet for the next four years and we have to remind him that 20% of his time is already gone and time is longer than rope. So it is not his detriment not to get back together and put the convention behind him."

And as they beat the campaign trail, both mass parties know that the dynamic in this election will be unlike those in the last one – and that makes the result unpredictable.