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The Drive To National Elections
posted (January 9, 2012)
The villages of Caledonia and Chunox in the Corozal District aren't what you might call political hotbeds - in fact they are in Corozal Southeast, a divisions which the UDP has never won.

But, nonetheless, that's where the Prime Minister started his national pre-election tour on Sunday.

It's an important event - because it more or less officially starts the drive to national election. Here's how it looked on the ground in Caledonia on Sunday afternoon.

Jules Vasquez reporting
The UDP flag was aloft as the busses came streaming in. Supporters and well-wishers lined up. Chendo Urbina was there, looking none the worse for wear as were a number of UDP glitterati including the man of the hour, the UDP's Corozal Southeast hopeful Raul Rosado. Other Generals were there as well, as the crowd queued up, waiting not for Godot but for Barrow - who came, pressed, the flesh, waved triumphantly.

A crowd of about 300 gathered at the village and almost all the UDP's candidate lined up on the stage to hear a very clear message form their party leader.

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Let us not go to sleep in the period that remains now and the election. I cannot tell you exactly what date I will call the election, but I can tell you that it will be soon. So I want to leave from here knowing that each and every single one of you is fired up. Get ready, it is coming soon."

The crowd in Chunox was about the same.

As we said, it is the start of the drive to national election, but when that will be is anybody's guess. We know that a full national tour will take more than three months to finish - but it is a fluid situation and the schedule can be accelerated.

On Saturday, as party leader, Barrow also chaired meetings of his party's Central Executive and National Party Council.

The next big meeting is on Friday where some rumours suggest the Prime Minister may dissolve the house and declare a date for the election. That however is only a rumour at this time - and to know how accurate it is, we'll all have to wait a few more days.

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