As Belize prepares for upcoming municipal elections, the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) is already navigating competitive internal contests that will shape its general election slate. Following a Saturday meeting of the party’s national executive body, leadership confirmed that five of the country’s nine municipalities will host open contested intra-party conventions to select PUP candidates for the general municipal polls, with customized selection rules applied to different jurisdictions.
The selection framework varies notably between two key electoral hotspots. In Belize City, the party will use a weighted delegate system: each electoral constituency is allocated one delegate for every 25 votes the PUP earned in the country’s most recent general election, and these delegates will cast votes to select the city’s PUP ticket. By contrast, Corozal Town will draw eligible convention voters directly from a cleaned copy of the national Elections and Boundaries Department’s official voter roll, opening the selection process to a broader base of registered PUP supporters.
Shortly after the executive meeting concluded, Prime Minister John Briceño delivered his first public campaign pitch of the 2026 election cycle, urging voters to return PUP-controlled municipal governments for another term. “Over the past three years, our municipal bodies across the entire country — from the northern border to the southern coast, from the eastern coastline to the western interior — have delivered consistent progress,” Briceño stated. “I firmly believe voters should give these teams another chance to continue the work they have started. We will be campaigning directly in communities, meeting voters at their homes, and making the case that PUP management is the best choice for local municipalities across Belize.”
The announcement came alongside early controversy surrounding multiple prospective council candidates, and PUP Chairman Henry Charles Usher addressed growing questions from reporters during a post-meeting press briefing. When asked why prospective candidate Evan Thompson was barred from contesting a council nomination, Usher declined to comment, noting that internal party review processes are still ongoing and no final resolution has been reached.
Reporters also pressed Usher on the high-profile departure of a Corozal Town council candidate, who withdrew his nomination after public allegations of violent misconduct. When asked whether the PUP would have forced the candidate to step down if the allegations had not become public, Usher dismissed the question, saying “It is a moot point — the candidate voluntarily submitted a withdrawal letter to the party secretariat. We are moving forward with our scheduled contested convention on August 9.” Usher confirmed that two candidate slates will compete in Corozal, with one slate fielding one fewer candidate than the full six-member slate following the withdrawal.
Political observers are focusing particular attention on the upcoming intra-party contests in Corozal Town and Belize City, the country’s largest urban center. In Corozal, incumbent Rigo Vellos is defending his position against challenger Shajerie Rogers, who has backing from senior party figure Thea Garcia. In Belize City, Eluide Miller and Allan Pollard are facing off for the PUP’s mayoral nomination. The Corozal convention is scheduled for August 9, while the Belize City contest will take place on August 30.
This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with original Kriol language content transcribed using a standardized spelling system.