By Omar Silva

Editor: National Perspective Bz – Digital 2024

www.nationalperspectivebz.com  

Belize City: Wednesday 27th November 2024

The integrity of Belize’s electoral system is under siege, as both major political parties—the People’s United Party (PUP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP)—stand accused of exploiting a deeply flawed voter registration system for political gain. The latest developments in Cayo North offer both a glimpse into the extent of the abuse and a sliver of hope for reform.

United Democratic Party Standard Bearer for Cayo North, Dr. Omar Figueroa, has been on a relentless campaign to challenge what he calls “phantom voters” on the constituency’s voter rolls. His legal efforts have uncovered and challenged a decades-old practice of political manipulation in Belize: registering dozens, sometimes hundreds, of voters at a single address in constituencies where their residency is highly questionable.

A System Both Parties Exploit

This problem is not new. Both the PUP and UDP have long used the voter registration process to their advantage, adding names to electoral rolls in critical constituencies during the voter transfer period. The goal? To tilt the scales during elections by artificially inflating the number of voters in areas where they seek an edge. Prime Minister John Briceño himself acknowledged the problem earlier this year, calling it a “can of worms” neither major party truly wants to open.

“We need to start there,” Briceño said, pointing to instances where opposition leaders and sitting area representatives had allegedly registered voters en masse at addresses that could not feasibly house them. The Prime Minister’s admission only underscores the depth of the problem: the manipulation of voter rolls is a systemic issue that transcends party lines.

The Fight in Cayo North

Dr. Figueroa’s efforts began in earnest during the July-August voter transfer period, when over 100 new voters were registered in Cayo North. Many were listed at dubious addresses, some with dozens of voters registered to a single home. Figueroa filed two objections during this period and successfully prevented the transfer of over 100 voters onto the Cayo North roll—a partial victory, as those names remain under legal review pending a High Court decision.

The latest chapter in this saga involved the annual review of the voter list, a process seldom used to challenge voter registrations. Over the past 12 months, another wave of transfers brought nearly 100 voters into Cayo North, primarily from Belize Rural Central. Once again, many of these names were linked to addresses that raised red flags.

After eight days of proceedings before Magistrate Kara Walters, Figueroa and his attorney Jackie Willoughby successfully removed 24 voters from the list. “We believe there is a well-organized system of electoral fraud happening in Cayo North,” Figueroa said, citing instances where busloads of voters were transported into the area during elections, many of whom were unknown to local residents.

Technicalities and a Learning Process

While Figueroa’s legal team was successful in removing 24 voters, the remaining objections failed due to procedural technicalities. The experience, however, has been a learning process. “Going forward, we will be much better prepared,” Figueroa said. “Some houses have as many as 100 fraudulent registrations being placed there, and Elections and Boundaries has refused to cooperate and conduct a comprehensive investigation into these fraudulent registrations.”

This lack of cooperation from the Elections and Boundaries Department is emblematic of the systemic challenges facing Belize’s electoral process. The absence of mandatory proof of residency—such as utility bills or ID cards—combined with limited investigative authority, allows these abuses to persist.

A Call for Reform

Figueroa’s partial victories in court highlight the urgent need for legislative reform to address the manipulation of voter rolls. Proposed changes should include:

Mandatory Proof of Residency: All voters must provide verifiable proof, such as utility bills or identification cards, during registration.

Random Investigations: The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) should have the authority to investigate suspicious registrations, particularly in houses with an unusually high number of voters.

Severe Penalties: Political representatives, landlords, and individuals involved in fraudulent registrations must face significant legal consequences, including fines and disqualification from office.

Public Transparency: An online voter registration database would allow citizens to monitor the voter rolls for irregularities.

A System at a Crossroads

As Belize approaches another critical election in 2025, the stakes could not be higher. Both political parties have proven that they are willing to exploit the voter registration process to gain an edge. Without meaningful reform, the abuse will continue, and public trust in the democratic process will erode further.

The fight in Cayo North is a microcosm of a larger battle to clean up Belize’s electoral system. Dr. Figueroa’s efforts have shone a spotlight on a broken system that urgently needs fixing. The question now is whether the government will have the political will to act—or whether this “can of worms” will remain sealed, allowing the abuse to persist.

Belize deserves better. It is time to end the manipulation and restore integrity to our voter Registration rolls. The people of Cayo North—and Belize at large—deserve nothing less.