Former PUP Senator Accused of Illegal Vote Transfer in PG Court

A challenge to six names on Punta Gorda’s provisional voters list has now opened a bigger fight over transparency in Belize’s voter registration process. The objections, filed by Justice of the Peace and former mayoral aspirant Leeroy Supaul, claim that the six individuals, including former P.U.P. Senator Bevinton Cal, do not live in Punta Gorda Town. But when the matter went before the Punta Gorda Magistrate’s Court today, the focus quickly shifted. Elections and Boundaries refused to disclose the inspection report used to verify the registrations. Attorney Orson Elrington says the court must now decide whether that report should be released before the objections can proceed.

 

Orson Elrington, Attorney-At-Law

“My client, along with other independent sources, have verified in fact that these persons are not, do not reside in Punta Gorda, and therefore he took up the challenge of challenging the matter before the revision court. We made an application for disclosure of the inspection report. This is where obviously where the investigating officer should have gone out into the field and verified in fact that these persons do reside in the location that they claim they do reside. So we would have asked for that to be disclosed. Quite surprisingly, the officer who was representing the Election and Boundaries Department, I believe her name is one Ms. Cheyenne Murillo, informed us that in fact she would not be disclosing – she would deny or demand for that document to be disclosed, and claims that it is privileged information and therefore that she would not be providing that to us.”

 

Leeroy Supaul, Objector

“These people here does not live in Punta Gorda Town. They are trying to get registered in Punta Gorda Town, but they do not live in Punta Gorda Town. There’s a process that you go through whenever you’re doing a transfer. You need to live in the area two months before, and these people have not been seen. I went and look for the neighbors that live beside that resident and ask if these people are seen for the last two months when they’re supposed to live in the area before registration, and they were not seen.”

 

Frank Polonio, Punta Gorda Mayoral Candidate, UDP

“We know that the people of Punta Gorda want a fair and they want to put in who they want to in terms of for it to be fair. What happens now is that we take away their voice by padding the list. We take away their vote. We take away their freedom by putting names that doesn’t belong there. I must add to it quickly, Shane, that PG is small. Everybody know everybody, so there is no doubt about it. We know who live here. We know who comes here. We know who come to visit. If you come from… If you come to PG right now, we know you’re not from here. It’s too small. We know.”

 

The Punta Gorda Magistrate’s Court will hear oral arguments on the voter objections on Monday, August third. The case carries political weight: in 2024, Frank Polonio lost the PG Town Council race by just twenty-five votes after a recount.

 

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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