The Belize National Teachers Union held its annual general meeting today at the Corozal Community College. It's a 2-day event where the most important housekeeping business of the teachers union are taken care of, and one of the more important items on the itinerary is the election of national officers.
That meant that the presidency is up for grabs, and whenever the mighty teacher union's leadership is in transition, everyone takes notices to see who the teachers choose. After all, they often take on the role of an activist union not only concerned with the the welfare of their members, but also with urgent national issues affecting the country.
But it appears that Elena Smith has earned the respect of her union's membership during her first term of president. So, she is expected to be endorsed for a second term tomorrow during day 2 of the AGM. Our colleagues from CTV3 News caught up with her today, and they asked her to discuss the impending endorsement. She said that she hopes that it is a message from the teachers that she is serving them well:
Hon. Elena Smith, National President - BNTU
"Well I am hoping that it means that our members are satisfied with the work that I have done. I know that they have expressed satisfaction with the visits that I made to the schools. Every time I go a school, the first thing they mention to us was its their first time they are seeing a president visiting them for no reason at all. And so that has been one of the things that they really enjoyed in terms of under my presidency. I think too I have been a president who made sure that our members are involve in the decision making and so I don't make decisions on my own, but I go to them for support and for decisions. And as well added to that for some time we have seen where our union has not seen a challenge for the presidency for the second term. Not all the time, but a few times and so that could have been a possible cause."
During tomorrow's elections, Smith's post as well as those of the secretary and treasurer will be endorsed.
There will be an election for the 1st Vice Presidency, which was held by the former National President, Luke Palacio.
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