2008 Belizean constitutional referendum

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A national referendum, the nation's first, was held in Belize on February 7, 2008, coinciding with the 2008 general elections.

The question asked was: "Should the Senate of Belize be elected?"

While approved by 61% of voters with a 46% turnout, the referendum was only consultative, and the government chose not to implement the result, considering the low turnout.

Background[]

Main article: Senate of Belize

Ever since independence from Great Britain in 1981, Belize has had its upper house appointed. Currently, there are 12 senators and a President.

An elected Senate, according to its proponents, would return the decision over control of the nation's resources and development to the Belizean people.

Discussion[]

Earlier in the year, Prime Minister Said Musa had given tacit support to the idea of an elected Senate, and eventually brought up the matter in session of the House of Representatives on December 19, 2007.

Musa introduced a bill to allow for a referendum, to be held in 2008 likely alongside the general elections, to determine Belizeans' thoughts on the issue. The Opposition, led by Dean Barrow, argued against going to a referendum on the basis that Belizeans had not been given enough time for discussion of the issue and charged that the governing People's United Party was trying to hijack the issue to gain votes at the general elections due in the first half of 2008. The PUP countered that the opposition United Democratic Party were on "the wrong side of history".

Announcement of referendum and reaction[]

Prime Minister of Belize Said Musa, on Monday January 7, 2008, announced that he had asked the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, to issue a writ of referendum to be held the same day as the general election.[1] There is precedent for multiple voting in Belize: the 2003 elections for general and were held on the same day. In anticipation of the announcement the PUP had released ads condemning the UDP position and encouraging Belizeans to vote for them as well as to vote in favour of an elected Senate, linking the two together. The PUP released its proposal for an elected Senate on January 17.[2]

The Opposition UDP announced on January 8 that it had asked its supporters to either boycott the poll or vote "no".[3] It trumpeted its alternate plan as a solution. Party leader Barrow amended the position later on by simply asking supporters to vote "no."

Reaction from the third parties was mixed. Even as many welcome the referendum, they are cautious about mixing it with the general election. Senator Godwin Hulse, Kevin Herrera and Henry Gordon of SPEAR have presented an alternate plan for the elected Senate as part of a list of reforms, to widespread discussion.[4]

Procedure[]

The referendum was held to the same procedures as a general election. All registered voters over 18 were eligible to participate. Separate places in the polling stations were provided for the referendum.

The voting for the referendum began at 7:00 AM CST (1300 UTC) on election day and finished at 6:00 PM CST (0000 UTC Friday). Counting of votes began at the various counting stations beginning after the counting of votes for the general elections and continuing until a simple majority was reached which declared support or dissent for the question.

Results[]

Map of the referendum results by constituency, showing where the majority voted yes (shaded in green), and where the majority voted no (shaded in red).

The referendum passed with over 61 percent of the vote nationwide and won in 30 out of 31 constituencies. Only the Queen's Square constituency in Belize City voted against it.[5]

Referendum results
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Yes 45,057 62.71
No 26,793 37.29
Valid votes 71,850 98.14
Invalid or blank votes 1,363 1.86
Total votes 73,213 100.00
Registered voters and turnout 156,993 46.63
Source: BEBC, Direct Democracy

By district[]

Division District For Against Invalid/
blank 		Total
votes 		Registered Turnout
(%)
Votes % Votes % Votes %
Belize Freetown 1,415 64.23 732 33.23 56 2.54 3,687 2,203 59.75
Belize Caribbean Shores 1,354 54.25 1,142 45.75 0 0.00 4,564 2,496 54.69
Belize Pickstock 1,005 60.36 618 37.12 42 2.52 3,294 1,665 50.55
Belize Fort George 1,393 71.95 503 25.98 40 2.07 3,195 1,936 60.59
Belize Albert 1,042 67.18 477 30.75 32 2.06 3,242 1,551 47.84
Belize Queen's Square 699 47.29 779 52.71 0 0.00 3,977 1,478 37.16
Belize Mesopotamia 619 51.20 565 46.73 25 2.07 3,255 1,209 37.14
Belize Lake Independence 1,595 61.89 919 35.66 63 2.44 5,155 2,577 49.99
Belize Collet 1,005 61.96 591 36.44 26 1.60 3,890 1,622 41.70
Belize Port Loyola 703 52.74 597 44.79 33 2.48 4,106 1,333 32.46
Belize Belize Rural North 1,349 51.21 1,261 47.87 24 0.91 4,879 2,634 53.99
Belize Belize Rural Central 1,500 67.54 706 31.79 15 0.68 4,879 2,221 45.52
Belize Belize Rural South 1,314 68.37 579 30.12 29 1.51 5,470 1,922 35.14
Corozal Corozal Bay 1,185 71.09 470 28.19 12 0.72 5,352 1,667 31.15
Corozal Corozal North 1,847 67.29 832 30.31 66 2.40 5,432 2,745 50.53
Corozal Corozal South East 2,367 69.29 1,002 29.33 47 1.38 5,597 3,416 61.03
Corozal Corozal South West 1,484 84.32 260 14.77 16 0.91 5,170 1,760 34.04
Orange Walk Orange Walk Central 2,323 60.26 1,490 38.65 42 1.09 5,982 3,855 64.44
Orange Walk Orange Walk North 1,317 70.47 523 27.98 29 1.55 6,365 1,869 29.36
Orange Walk Orange Walk East 1,983 60.02 1,271 38.47 50 1.51 5,767 3,304 57.29
Orange Walk Orange Walk South 1,852 74.80 565 22.82 59 2.38 5,989 2,476 41.34
Cayo Cayo North 1,504 55.42 1,168 43.04 42 1.55 5,213 2,714 52.06
Cayo Cayo Central 1,624 51.65 1,424 45.29 96 3.05 6,316 3,144 49.78
Cayo Cayo West 1,866 69.89 729 27.30 75 2.81 5,621 2,670 47.50
Cayo Cayo South 1,466 59.86 889 36.30 94 3.84 5,871 2,449 41.71
Cayo Cayo North East 1,513 53.71 1,207 42.85 97 3.44 5,363 2,817 52.53
Cayo Belmopan 1,579 58.79 1,051 39.13 56 2.08 6,060 2,686 44.32
Stann Creek Dangriga 1,421 53.08 1,233 46.06 23 0.86 5,363 2,677 49.92
Stann Creek Stann Creek West 2,382 58.23 1,615 39.48 94 2.30 7,085 4,091 57.74
Toledo Toledo East 1,423 70.24 603 29.76 0 0.00 5,773 2,026 35.09
Toledo Toledo West 928 76.57 260 21.45 24 1.98 5,608 1,212 21.61

Source: Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission [5]

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=19955[permanent dead link] News 5, January 7, 2008
  2. ^ http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=20038[permanent dead link] News 5, January 17, 2008
  3. ^ http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=19964[permanent dead link]. News 5, January 8, 2008
  4. ^ http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=19974[permanent dead link] News 5, January 8, 2008
  5. ^ a b Referendum Results 2008, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 26 November 2014)
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