As we told you yesterday, the Belize Peace Movement is going back to the High court to try and force the government and the Elections and Boundaries Commission to perform a re-districting exercise before the next general election.
The movement is trying to get them to confirm to the constitutional requirement which says "each electoral division shall have as nearly as may be an equal number of persons eligible to vote."
That means the constituencies are to have more or less the same number of voters - but that's not happening. For example, right now Stann Creek West has more than ten thousand voters, while Mesopotamia has just over two thousand.
But, government doesn't want to fix it. The Prime Minister has called it a "can of worms" - and it's one thing both the political parties can agree on.
Now, government has retained two top law firms to defend the status quo against this challenge. We spoke to one of the Peace Movement claimants Wil Maheia about it today:
Wil Maheia, BPM
"The election and boundaries had made a recommendation and they took it to the House, and it's sitting there on a shelf somewhere. It was never debated. So we went back to court because we and we know that in 2025, there must be an election. And in 2020, the government, the now government promised like as soon as they get in, they would have redistricting. And it's been four years and no redistricting. So we just want that the government do the right thing according to the Constitution. It's the Constitution that's saying so. It's not so us. So we are, well, we were surprised when they went for the big guns, all these top notch lawyers that we, the taxpayers, will have to pay to try and keep the thing wrong."
Reporter
"How do you feel about these attorneys that have been obtained? Will that scare you off? Have you pulled back your claim?"
Wil Maheia, BPM
"Well, we hope not. And I want to really applaud Sharon Pitts for taking on the case. I mean, we have contacted a number of Belizean attorneys, who, you know, they don't want to piss off the government or things like that so kind of backed off. But, you know, Sharon, believe that what we are doing is the right thing. And she had taken the (case) and I wanted to use this opportunity to also appeal to any attorney that we may have missed to come join this case, because at the end of the day, this is for Belize. It's not for the peace movement. It is for all of us. And, you know, whenever corruption exists or whenever wrong exists, it's the whole country that suffers."
Reporter
"I'm not understanding that Miss Pitts will do this pro-bono. Right?"
Wil Maheia, BPM
"Right. She's not doing it, necessarily pro bono, although she's giving us, I mean, she's being very, very more than reasonable with us. So we also want to appeal to the public to really support us so that we could also hire more attorneys. or because, like I said, at the end of the day, it's about Belize."
"So we were appealing to the Prime Minister to do the right thing. I mean, this is not rocket science. We have people we know with today's technology, you could sit right there and do this redistricting thing in a matter of hours."
"And all we want is to, when are we going to election is to have it fair, to have a fair election. I mean, you look at Fort George in the last four years, they have increased the number of voters in that one small division, not even a mile long, by over 600 voters. Something is wrong!"
"All we are we are asking is to make sure that when we go into the election that it's free and fair."
Jules Vasquez
"The retention of two of the leading law firms in Belize and the most expensive law firms is an indication that of the seriousness of the government. But it also is meant to intimidate in more ways than one."
"What was there an allusion in the case management from the judge, Justice Hondora that you all should be wary, because you could have to face the prospect of paying the other side's cost?"
Wil Maheia, BPM
"I mean, I believe that if I could recall right, that was probably, brought to our attention and, you know, but again, I don't think that we should, but don't when we are trying to do the right thing."
No dates for hearing have yet been set.
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