BELIZE CITY – The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), the country’s premier labor coalition, has declared its firm opposition to any future general elections being conducted prior to the completion of a long-delayed national redistricting process. This constitutional mandate requires the redrawing of Belize’s 31 electoral constituencies to ensure equitable voter representation, a reform that successive governments have pledged but failed to deliver.
NTUCB President Ella Waight emphasized the critical nature of this issue during a recent press engagement. While acknowledging that the current administration under Prime Minister John Briceño has committed to finalizing the redistricting exercise by the conclusion of 2026, Waight expressed significant skepticism regarding the government’s follow-through, given the historical pattern of unfulfilled promises from various political parties.
When questioned about the union’s potential response should the government call elections before redistricting, President Waight indicated strong organizational resistance. “I do not see us promoting such an event to happen,” Waight stated, clarifying that while any formal position would require ratification by the NTUCB’s general council representing its eleven affiliate unions, the redistricting issue remains a paramount agenda item for the labor movement.
The union leader foreshadowed coordinated action should the government proceed without addressing the representation imbalance. “We would definitely have to have some kind of input in it and some kind of way to show that we are not happy,” Waight affirmed, signaling potential mobilization efforts to oppose elections conducted under the current constituency boundaries that fail to meet constitutional standards for equal representation.