Election results are in, but not everyone’s ready to accept them. In the quiet village of Crique Sarco, controversy is brewing after the recent village council elections. First Alcalde Marco Choc is challenging the outcome, claiming the vote was tainted by ineligible voters, some, he says, not even from Belize. The chairman-elect, John Bo, won by just eleven votes, but he’s yet to be sworn in. That’s because Choc has taken his concerns straight to the Elections and Boundaries Commission, alleging that nearly two dozen voters on the list are actually from Barra Sarstoon, a Guatemalan community. Now, he’s not just calling for a recount, he wants the entire election thrown out and those voters removed. We spoke with Choc earlier today to hear why he believes this election should be redone.
“A letter was promoted to the EBD because the communities have expressed concerns that there are people who do not live in Crique Sarco and are voting in the village council elections here in Crique Sarco. So, it is clear that they do not contribute to village life. We do not even see them in our village. They only come to the village when it is general elections. They have Temash as their address, which proves that they are not from Crique Sarco. We don’t even know why the government would register those people with that address int eh first place as that is a national park. No one should live there. It is illegal. We strongly believe and we were convinced that yes they came from the other side of the Sarstoon, a small settlement that is out there, because there is no settlement along the Temash bar. That is a national park and if they said yes they are on the other side, that is Barranco’s land. Our demands are that we want the elections and boundaries to have a reelection, that would allow only and I stress only those from the community to vote. Also, we want the election and boundaries to revise the list as it contains individuals who resides in other communities such as Graham Creek, Midway and Barranco.”
Reports are that the Elections and Boundaries Commission are reviewing the dispute and that the list of voters used has been used in previous village council elections. We will continue to follow.