By: Omar Silva

Editor/Publisher: National Perspective Bz – Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Saturday 15th February

Editorial:

Belize stands at a crossroads. Prime Minister John Briceño’s abrupt call for general elections on March 12, 2025, has sent shockwaves through the nation, igniting concerns of political manipulation and constitutional breaches. With the redistricting crisis unresolved, the electorate must now ask itself: Are we heading into an election that is already rigged in favour of the ruling elite?

For years, Belizeans have been fed hollow promises of reform, but when it comes to the fundamental fairness of our electoral system, the government has deliberately dragged its feet. The Belize Peace Movement (BPM) and other advocacy groups have long highlighted the dire need for redistricting to ensure fair representation. The 2019 consent order made it clear—the current electoral boundaries violate the Constitution. Yet, despite submitting a proposal in July 2023, the government has chosen to stall rather than implement necessary reforms.

Briceño’s Calculated Gamble

By rushing to the polls without addressing the redistricting issue, Briceño is making a calculated gamble that voters will be too distracted by political theatrics to notice the blatant disenfranchisement at play.  His administration’s confidence in calling elections amid a pending legal challenge suggests an expectation that the courts will either delay any rulings or side with the government. But this is not just a political strategy—it is an outright attack on democracy.

The legal team representing claimants Jeremy Enriquez, Rudolph Norales, and Jessica Tulcey has made it clear: holding elections under outdated electoral boundaries is a constitutional violation. Their pre-action letter, sent by Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, requested a simple commitment from the government—five days’ notice before dissolving Parliament and calling an election. Instead of responding in good faith, the government’s attorneys at Courtenay Coye LLP dismissed the request outright, essentially telling the electorate, "We will do as we please."

Rigging the System: A Legacy of Electoral Abuse

This crisis is nothing new. For decades, Belize’s extractive political class has thrived by bending the rules to maintain power. Whether it is through strategic gerrymandering, voter suppression, or controlling the election calendar, the ruling elite has ensured that the system works for them—not the people. The current government’s refusal to implement redistricting is just another chapter in this long history of political deception.

Briceño’s recent statement that redistricting before the election is “too late” is nothing short of an admission of guilt. If the government was serious about electoral fairness, it had every opportunity to pass the necessary amendments months ago. Instead, it has chosen delay tactics to maintain its grip on power.

The Constitutional Crisis Ahead

By bulldozing ahead with elections under illegitimate electoral boundaries, Briceño is setting Belize up for a potential constitutional crisis. If the courts grant an injunction, the election process could be derailed entirely, plunging the nation into political chaos. If the elections proceed unchallenged, we risk entrenching a system where government-mandated electoral fraud becomes the norm.

The Latest Legal Battle

Adding to this brewing crisis, Jerry Enriquez and his legal team, alongside the Belize Peace Movement, are intensifying their legal challenges to stop the election from proceeding under unconstitutional electoral boundaries. Enriquez argues that the government’s refusal to implement redistricting amounts to inducing voters to participate in an unlawful and fraudulent election.

Prime Minister Briceño himself had previously committed to ensuring redistricting before elections, stating in December 2022:

"We have to do it before the next election. As it is right now this is an exercise that is handled by the Elections and Boundaries Commission. They will make that recommendation to the Elections and Boundaries Commission. Once that recommendation is made then that goes to the National Assembly for acceptance or not."

Yet, despite these promises, the Elections and Boundaries report has stalled in Parliament, failing to be either accepted or rejected.

Meanwhile, the Belize Peace Movement, led by Roody Wade, has filed an urgent application demanding that the court declare the register of voters “malapportioned, unconstitutional, and unsuitable for use” in the general election. Wade, frustrated with the delays, called on the judiciary to act immediately, warning that Belize’s executive branch has been dictating outcomes at the expense of democracy.

Is Prime Minister Briceño Above the Law?

Prime Minister Briceño is now aggressively campaigning for what he says will be his last election, despite unresolved constitutional concerns. His insistence on pushing forward with the election raises the question: Is he acting above the law?

The government’s failure to implement redistricting despite its legal obligation constitutes a clear breach of Section 90 of the Belize Constitution, which mandates fair and equal electoral divisions. Furthermore, by ignoring legal challenges and refusing to abide by the 2019 consent order, Briceño is violating democratic principles and undermining the legitimacy of Belize’s electoral process.

If the Prime Minister proceeds with the election despite these violations, he could be held legally accountable for disregarding constitutional law and facilitating an unlawful election. The courts must intervene to ensure that Belize’s democratic framework is upheld, and voters must demand that legal institutions act swiftly.

A Call to Action: Belize Must Resist Political Exploitation

Voters must recognize that this election is not just about choosing the next government—it is about the very survival of democracy in Belize. The time has come for all Belizeans to reject this political manipulation and demand:

• Immediate implementation of redistricting before any election can proceed
• Judicial intervention to uphold the constitutional rights of voters
• Accountability from politicians who have continuously exploited the electoral system

The Prime Minister has made his move, but the Belizean people still have a choice. We can either submit to a fraudulent election or rise up and demand the democratic system we deserve. The world is watching. The time to act is now.