UNWEAKENED SUPERMAJORITYPUP retains constitution-changing numbers

For the first time in Belize’s post-independence history, a ruling party has maintained an unweakened supermajority in its second term and has done so with an active Constitution-reform process in motion.

This supermajority signals that the Government retains full capability to implement the recommendations put forward via the People’s Constitution Commission (PCC), a body’s whose term of office has been extended.

Analysts attribute the PUP’s sustained dominance to several factors. Voter apathy may have played a role, with some observers suggesting that the electorate did not see a viable alternative to the incumbent government. Particularly, the UDP’s internal divisions and leadership struggles leading up to the election may have weakened its challenge.

Another factor is the unresolved issue of electoral redistricting. The 2025 election took place amid legal disputes, with claimants arguing that the current boundaries create voter imbalances that violate constitutional principles of fair representation. The courts did not halt the election, and the redistricting issue remains pending.

Regardless of the reasons, with a supermajority, the PUP retains full legislative authority, allowing it to pass reforms without opposition support. Historically, such power has led to political shifts in later elections. As the new government begins its second term, the focus will be on whether it uses this mandate for structural reforms or faces future electoral backlash.

In the past, supermajorities rarely go unweakened. Since independence, Belize has held ten general elections, six of which resulted in supermajorities. Historically, governing parties have seen a decline in parliamentary strength in their second term.

Belize’s first supermajority came in 1984, when the United Democratic Party (UDP) won 21 out of 29 seats. The PUP achieved similar dominance in 1998 with a 26-to-3 victory, followed by a 22-to-7 win in 2003. The UDP regained power in 2008 with a 25-to-6 win but lost its supermajority by 2012. In 2020, the PUP secured a 26-seat majority, a position they have now maintained without loss in number of seats.