PUP Braces for Heated Punta Gorda Convention

The PUP’s municipal season is heating up, and Punta Gorda is next in line. Fresh off a record turnout in Corozal, the party is preparing for another competitive convention this weekend, this time with a three-way race for mayor. Incumbent Carlos “Obeah” Galvez is being challenged by Dr. Francis Arzu and Macavio Ack, while thirteen candidates are also chasing six councillor seats. PUP Secretary General Collet Montejo says the party expects strong participation, but he is warning candidates to keep the rivalry within the rules.

 

Collet Montejo, Secretary General, PUP

“This week we have Punta Gorda. In Punta Gorda it’s going to be very interesting. We have three mayoral candidates. We have current Mayor Carlos Obia Galvez, we have Dr. Francis Arzu and we have Mr. Macavio Ack contesting for Mayor. Coming up next weekend, we have two conventions, as a matter of fact, both in the Cayo district. We have San Ignacio and Santa Elena on the 22^nd, Saturday the 22^nd, and that will be held at the Center for Employment Training and that is a delegate convention. That’s a little different from the ones we are having in PG and Corozal and in Benque. There’s two hundred plus delegates that will come out between nine a.m. and one p.m. and cast their ballots for six consular candidates. We already have our mayoral candidate that went uncontested, Mr. Aaron Mai. And then on Sunday the 23^rd we’ll be in Benque Viejo at the Kancha there and we have Ms. Jenny Martinez contesting against current incumbent Mayor Jorge Rosales for mayor and then we have ten candidates vying for six positions as councilors there in Benque Viejo.”

 

Shane Williams

“What’s the party doing to try to contain the passion from getting overboard?”

 

Collet Montejo

“That is always a challenge for us, especially here at the Secretariat. We’re constantly getting complaints from all over, because there is a rule by which they must govern that they must keep their campaign clean. They cannot be attacking the other side, they have to campaign on their merits. So whenever anybody tries to squeak away from that rule I’m getting complaints and I always reach out and ask them to fall back in line, and they all do. Because after all, if you know this in Corozal, it was a very peaceful convention even though it was hotly contested. The comportment of the people was something to be commended and we expect the same thing in Punta Gorda.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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