BELIZE: ELECTION CAMPAIGN CONCLUDES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELMOPAN 000064 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR WHA/CEN - R. BEAL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI BH SUBJECT: BELIZE: ELECTION CAMPAIGN CONCLUDES REFS: (A) BELMOPAN 057, (B) Belmopan 055 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Observers of Belize's election campaign refer to issues of class and race to predict voting patterns but most agree that after ten years in power and numerous corruption scandals it will be difficult for the government to be reelected on February ¶7. The two major political parties scrambled to register voters, including some hastily-minted new citizens, in advance of a January 10 registration deadline. As the frenetic pace of campaign spending nears its end, it is clear that both major parties are buying votes. Election workers do not appear to be well organized on a national basis and procedures and rule enforcement will likely vary among the polling stations. The Commonwealth Secretariat has sent election observers to Belize, and the Embassy will be fielding observation teams who will visit most constituencies. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) As four weeks of frantic and sometimes mean-spirited campaigning draw to a close, Belizeans will go to the polls February ¶7. Most observers, including us, foresee the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) coming to power after 10 years of People's United Party (PUP) rule. The result will be hard-fought, and in many constituencies could come down to a handful of votes. The following are Embassy observations on the campaign and the likely outcome. VOTER REGISTRATION -------------- ¶3. (U) January 10 was the last day for candidates to register voters. The registration system allowed candidates to move voters between districts, so parties are able to shift votes from safer districts to help in more contentious areas. This year, just days prior to the registration deadline, thousands of immigrants were sworn in as citizens at ceremonies that usually see only a few dozen participants. Several sources noted that political parties paid citizenship and then voter registration fees for the new citizens, who were bussed directly to the registration offices. New voter registrants can vote in any district they choose as registration is not limited by residence. Likewise, candidates have no residence requirement to live in the districts they represent. CAMPAIGN SPENDING -------------- ¶4. (SBU) As the frenetic pace of campaign spending nears its end, it is clear that both major parties are buying votes. Most spending is overt and candidates freely admit that "helping" voters directly drives election strategy. Several candidates interviewed estimate that on average each candidate will spend from BZ$150,000 - $250,000 (US$75,000 - $125,000) on the campaign, a significant sum considering that most constituencies average under 6,000 voters. These estimates do not include money spent by party organizations and do not reflect the increased availability of government services in the run up to election day. Individual candidates pay constituents' medical or electrical bills, buy household goods, and give cash gifts to voters. Candidates also provide services such as road grading, sewer construction, and garbage collection. There are no campaign finance laws and while some candidates complain about the system, the complaints tend to focus on their opponents' deep pockets or sharp methods rather than on philosophical problems with how campaigns are funded here. ELECTION DAY PROCESS -------------- ¶5. (U) The last-minute referendum on electing the Senate has added a confusing element to the campaign (Ref A),particularly since the UDP has urged supporters to boycott the referendum. The process for voting involves dipping an index finger into ink for the area representative vote and then returning to the booth for the referendum vote and dipping a middle finger in ink of another color, effectively doubling the amount of time a voter has to spend in the polling station. The dual votes call for separate ballots, boxes, and voting lines. The Election and Boundaries Department will deploy more than 1,500 public officers to 314 polling stations. The polls open at 7 am and close at 6 pm, a change from pervious elections (Septel). There are over 150,000 registered voters and high voter turnout is a tradition likely to be continued February 7. ¶6. (SBU) Election rules and staff do not appear to be well organized on a national basis and we expect that procedures and rule enforcement will vary among the polling stations. For example, there have been rumors that voters plan to bring cameras or cell phones into the booth to take pictures of their completed ballot in order to prove they voted the "right" way and receive payment from a party representative. According to the head of the Elections Commission, "the issue has been raised by both political parties as BELMOPAN 00000064 002 OF 002 a concern. But because it is not a part of our regulation we will not really stop anyone from taking cell phones in the polling booths." In response, the opposition leader has drafted a complaint letter to the Elections Commission and the Prime Minister imploring them to ban cell phones from voting booths. In addition, the Belize Election Commission performs vote counts in locations remote from where the votes are cast. This provides an added complication of securely transporting ballot boxes. ¶7. (U) All parties provide poll watchers in an effort to ensure the integrity of the vote, but there are no organized civil society groups doing independent election monitoring. The Commonwealth Secretariat has, at the request of the government, sent election SIPDIS observers to Belize but with three teams of observers it will be difficult to cover a lot of ground. The Embassy will be sending 16 observers to various parts of the country and expects to cover two-thirds of the constituencies on election day (Septel). PREDICTIVE FACTORS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Observers and candidates often refer to issues of class and race distinctions to differentiate between the two major parties. They argue that the PUP represents the economic extremes of the population, receiving strong support from wealthy families and the impoverished. In contrast, the UDP appears to draw strength from professionals and lower-middle and upper-middle class voters. (COMMENT: If the sample of our locally-engaged staff is representative, this theory has some validity: education and salary level are good predictors of party affiliation among our LES. END COMMENT) There have also been concealed racial undertones with oblique references to electing the first "black" Prime Minister (UDP leader Dean Barrow) or the fact that the UDP is primarily the party of the Creole population. Many claim that new immigrant families -- the vast majority of whom are Spanish speakers from neighboring Central American countries -- primarily support the PUP, due to land grants, expedited citizenship, and cash payments provided by the incumbent party. COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Most observers believe that the opposition UDP will win the election. The PUP, by their own admission, are fighting against voter fatigue with a party in power for ten years. The current government has also been plagued by multiple financial scandals. Anti-corruption is the foremost campaign issue for all political parties in this election. Despite the negatives against it, however, the PUP appears more organized, has more experienced candidates, is receiving outside funding and is utilizing the full power of incumbency in their reelection effort. Several recent polls show conflicting results and seem unreliable. (REFTEL B) Our analysis is that it will be closer than many people think but that Dean Barrow and the UDP will form Belize's next government. END COMMENT. HILL