7 News Belize

Mayor Moya Flowers Not Expelled, But Suspension Will Hurt Political Ambitions
posted (January 24, 2011)
Last week we reported that Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers had submitted her name to run for the UDP in the Albert division. But that was dependent upon her getting the o-k from the party's national executive which had expelled her in May of 2010. Well according to word coming from the UDP, she appealed the expulsion and asked for a lesser penalty when she appeared on Saturday at a meeting of the National Party Council in Belize City.

Our sources say the appeal was upheld and she got that lesser penalty: from expulsion it went down to a year's suspension, which runs from May of last year to May of this year. Seems fair enough except that it means that her application for the Albert convention made in January cannot be accepted because she is under suspension; and interestingly, she will also be precluded from offering herself for mayor because the deadline for that is April first of 2010 - a month before she is re-instated.

That seems to put the mayor in quite the political pickle and even her steadfast ally Michael Finnegan can't help her out. Our sources tell us that at a cabinet meeting a couple weeks ago, he informed his colleagues that he wanted to step down and suggested Moya as his replacement in the UDP's surest division, Mesopotamia.

But as we understand it that was roundly rejected and he was asked to run again, which he accepted. Finnegan, it should be noted, did not attend Saturday's meeting. We could not reach him for comment.

And so, that appears to be it for the time being as all electoral doors appear to be closed for Moya, for the time being at least, but in politics, things can change quickly.

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