PUP Prepares for Fiercely Contested Belize City Convention
In two days, the race to lead Belize City will come down to fewer than eight hundred PUP delegates. Deputy Mayor Eluide Miller and Councilor Allan Pollard are battling for the mayoral nomination in what is shaping up to be the party’s most fiercely contested convention this season. At the same time, nineteen candidates are competing for just ten spots on the councilor slate. Today, News Five’s Shane Williams spoke with both mayoral hopefuls about their final push ahead of Sunday’s vote, while the PUP Secretary General outlined the preparations for a smooth and transparent convention.
Shane Williams, Reporting
Allan Pollard is betting that his connection with ordinary Belize City residents will deliver victory on Sunday. The three-term city councilor and former Deputy Mayor has built his campaign around being the common man’s candidate. With the PUP slate strongly favored heading into the March third election, Sunday’s convention could decide who is best positioned to become the city’s next mayor.
Allan Pollard
Allan Pollard, Councilor, Belize City
“A lot of people are familiar with my journey. They know how challenging it has been over time, with the different advances and the setbacks and being able to come here and now participate in this convention to, right some of the wrongs that has happened in the past. I think that has helped a lot. And also just that access, that accessibility and the access that people have for me. I’m from the city. I’m from South Side Belize City. I’m always engaged in the community. So for me it’s really just building on the relationships that we have already made in the past and of course making sure that people vote at the end of the day.”
Deputy Mayor Eluide Miller is seen as the molded candidate. He rose through the ranks at City Hall, starting as an intern, then an employee and councilor in 2024. Miller is banking on his experience at every level of the council and strong internal support to convince voters that he is ready to lead Belize City.
Eluide Mayor
Eluide Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Belize City
“I think my journey through the city council is a quite unique one. I came into this council back in 2019 as an intern and I think my years of service has shown constant growth and elevation through the council. And so I think people really like that, right? People like that story. People like the fact that I not only serve at the executive level, but I know the council from the ground up. I know of the opportunities and challenges that exist at each and every level of the council, and I think that has helped me to really serve in a way that people has been able to access services through me. People has been able to get assistance through me. And I just think it has really helped me to serve in a more impactful way over time, and so people are excited about that idea.”
The PUP Secretariat will referee Sunday’s political showdown, with Secretary General Collet Montejo serving as the head umpire. But Montejo says a team from Belmopan will oversee the convention on the ground.
Collet Montejo
Collet Montejo, Secretary General, PUP
“This Sunday, the secretariat is serving as a supportive role. The team that will be conducting the election, running the election from start to finish, is coming out of the capital headed by our presiding officer Mr. John Bernard Wade. JB Wade will be leading the team coming out, all senior people who have – who are battle-tested in relation to running conventions.”
Polls at the ITVET will be opened at nine a.m. and counting is expected to wrap up by six. The secretariat is hoping for a peaceful exercise and united ending.
Collet Montejo
“Keep it peaceful, keep it civil, keep it professional. Be respectful of each other. Everybody’s aspiring for the same thing, to be on Team Eleven. And when it’s all said and done on March third next year, we want a PUP city council established once again.”
And both potential slate leaders share that sentiment, committing to work as hard for the other as they would themselves, if the convention doesn’t go their way.
Allan Pollard
“My plan for me is to become the next mayoral candidate, and of course my job isn’t to choose who the councilor candidate is – who the councilor candidates are. That’s the job of the delegates, of course. But whoever is selected from this convention, then I commit fully to working with them. They’re, they have now become my slate, my team, and of course we have to work for the people going forward after March.”
Eluide Miller
“Regardless of how August 30th goes that is my commitment to finish the term off strongly. And of course, at the end of the day, absolutely nothing in politics should be personal. And so whoever it is that comes out of the convention, I will work along with them. I will work side by side with them to ensure that the PUP slate is successful come March of next year.”
With powerful backing and strong records on both sides, Sunday’s race is too close to call. But only the seven hundred and eighty-seven delegates will decide. News Five will be there when Chairman Henry Charles Usher announces the results. Shane Williams for News Five.
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.