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As this map of the electoral divisions shows – the country is Red tonight as the UDP has won a massive landslide and now controls 25 of 31 seats in parliament. Almost 113,000 Belizeans went to the polls yesterday. That’s 69% of registered voters and they decided dramatically to run Said Musa’s PUP administration out of office. Dean Barrow’s UDP party was elected with a decisive landslide, winning 25 of the 31 seats.

Official figures have not been distributed yet, but our unofficial figures show that it is a 10% swing. The PUP had 52% of the vote in 2003, and it got 42% in this election. A previous swing of 9.3% against the PUP was recorded in 1984, and 9.5% was recorded against the UDP in 1998. The UDP who earned the greatest percentage of votes was Michael Finnegan in Mesopotamia, he was elected with 77% of the vote, followed closely by party leader Dean Barrow and Boots Martinez who both got 66%. The PUP with the greatest number of votes was Mark Espat – who earned 66% of the votes cast in Albert – impressive enough but down from 83% - a swing of 17 points.

New Opposition Leader Said Musa was threatened in Fort George, but held on to retain 58% of the vote – comfortable but down from 77% in the last general election, a swing of 19%. In two constituencies, the PUP managed to hold on by the slimmest of margins: Francis Fonseca beat Mike Peyrefitte by 16 votes in Freetown, and Florencio Marin Jr. beat Sirvando Samos by 16 votes in Corozal Southeast.

The highest voter turnout was recorded in Orange Walk Central with 82%, and the lowest in Toledo East with 46%. And as for the senate referendum, well no one we could locate knew anything about it today. Incredibly no official or unofficial count was available.