BPM Urges Broad Alliance for Redistricting

The Belize Peace Movement (BPM) has called for a united effort among Belizean social partners to push for fair redistricting ahead of the upcoming elections.

The BPM emphasized the critical importance of equitable voter representation in maintaining the integrity of Belize’s democracy.

Paul Morgan, a consultant with the BPM, highlighted that the group’s legal battles have brought some progress in reducing voter disparity between the largest and smallest constituencies. However, the BPM remains dissatisfied with the government's proposed 35% voter disparity threshold, arguing it still falls short of ensuring fair representation.

“I'm calling on media. I'm calling on financial institutions, [the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry], the unions, the educational institutions, everybody, please rally in the streets, rally in your writings, rally in your discussion, in order for the government to understand that we Belizeans need to be treated equally. That is the only way development will happen.”

Morgan stressed that the fight for equitable redistricting cannot rest solely on the BPM’s shoulders. He emphasized that democracy requires active participation from all sectors of society to hold the government accountable and ensure that every Belizean's vote carries equal weight.

The BPM advocates for a stricter 15% upper-bound limit on voter disparity, aligning with international best practices. This threshold would ensure a more balanced distribution of voters across constituencies, reducing the current imbalances that allow some voters to wield significantly more power than others.

Morgan underscored the urgency of this issue, noting that with elections approaching, the time for action is now. He called on Belizeans to rally together and demand that the government implement a redistricting plan that truly reflects the democratic principle of "one person, one vote."

The BPM's ongoing efforts, combined with widespread public support, aim to pressure the government to amend the current proposal and adopt a more equitable approach. The movement believes that only through collective action can Belizeans ensure that their electoral system remains just and fair for all.

The BPM’s concern stems from the fact that there are significant inter-division discrepancies as it pertains to the number of voters. For example, in the Mesopotamia constituency, there are only 2252 voters. However, for Stann Creek West there are 10,449 voters registered in that area, a figure that is four times that of Mesopotamia.

The BPM charges that this type of discrepancy violates the Constitution and, more broadly, the one-man-one-vote principle that says that everyone’s vote should carry equal weight. However, keeping with the Mesopotamia-Stann-Creek-West example, given that it takes Mesopotamia so much less voters to bring an area representative to the House of Representatives, one can argue that their vote is close to four times more potent than Stann-Creek West voters.