Ahead of the upcoming People’s United Party (PUP) Belize City mayoral convention, Deputy Mayor Eluide Miller has publicly pushed back against circulating rumors, confirming that Prime Minister and PUP leader John Briceño never requested him to drop out of the nomination race, and he remains firm in his intent to compete.
In recent weeks, unconfirmed behind-the-scenes reports have claimed that party insiders were working to oust Miller from the contest to clear a path for rival candidate Allan Pollard Jr. Multiple sources told local outlet News 5 that Pollard’s team had been lobbying senior PUP leadership—including the Prime Minister, through Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde—to convince Miller to abandon his candidacy.
The growing tension over the nomination process already sparked public pushback from sitting Belize City Councillor Kaya Cattouse, who took to social media to call out the apparent shift in the party’s stance. Cattouse noted that just one week prior, PUP officials had publicly committed to an open, democratic contest where all interested candidates would have an equal chance to run. But as voter support has shifted, she argued, unelected efforts are now underway to manipulate the outcome to fit a preferred result.
Following the spread of these rumors, Miller broke his silence to set the record straight, confirming he held a frank, open discussion with Briceño recently to address his participation in the race. After Miller made clear his full intention to remain in the contest, he said the Prime Minister responded respectfully to his decision, with no attempt to pressure him to step aside. “I was never instructed or encouraged by the Prime Minister and Party Leader, Hon. John Briceño, to withdraw from the Belize City Mayoral Convention,” Miller emphasized in his public statement.
In an official confirmation, the PUP National Executive has reaffirmed that the nomination convention for the Belize City mayoral candidacy will proceed as scheduled, putting an end to early speculation that the contest could be canceled to avoid internal division. The race remains competitive ahead of the broader municipal elections cycle, with internal party dynamics drawing close attention from political observers across Belize.