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1993 Belizean general election

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1993 Belizean general election

← 1989 30 June 1993 1998 ⊟

All 29 seats in the House of Representatives
Turnout72.10%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Manuel Esquivel George Cadle Price
Party UDPNABR PUP
Leader since 1983 1956
Last election 13 seats 15 seats
Seats won 16 13
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 2
Popular vote 34,306 36,082
Percentage 48.7% 51.2%
Swing Decrease 0.3pp Increase 0.3pp

Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

George Cadle Price
PUP

Subsequent Prime Minister

Manuel Esquivel
UDP

General elections were held in Belize on 30 June 1993.[1] Although the People's United Party received the most votes, the United Democratic PartyNational Alliance for Belizean Rights alliance won the most seats. Voter turnout was 72%.[1]

Background

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British forces, kept in Belize by agreement of its government since independence in 1981, were scheduled to leave in 1993 or 1994. There was widespread belief that Belize would fall prey to Guatemalan incursions if the British left.

The PUP won the previous election with a two-seat majority. However, by early 1993 its majority had increased to six thanks to newly elected UDP Area Rep. William Usher of Toledo West crossing the floor to the PUP days after the 1989 election, and a January 1993 by-election win in Freetown after the UDP's Derek Aikman was forced to resign due to bankruptcy.[2][3] Success in the subsequent March municipal elections also gave the PUP added confidence.

Meanwhile, the UDP had been in apparent disarray since 1991, when a group led by longtime Area Rep. Philip Goldson broke with the party to form the National Alliance for Belizean Rights over disagreements on how to handle the longstanding Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute. This all compelled Prime Minister George Price to call elections nearly 18 months early (they were not constitutionally due until at least December 1994).

With Price's move the UDP and NABR promptly sought a coalition to achieve victory at the polls. However, Goldson was the NABR's only successful candidate. Although the PUP won a majority of votes nationwide, the UDP/NABR coalition won a slim majority of seats and therefore formed the next government. The election would be Price's last as PUP leader after over 35 years. He was succeeded as party leader in 1996 by Said Musa.

Results

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The results were extremely close in several constituencies. In Caribbean Shores and Stann Creek West the UDP–NABR candidates won by 40 and 34 votes. The UDP–NABR candidate in Cayo North won by 18 votes. In Orange Walk North, the UDP–NABR won by five votes. The PUP candidate in Belize Rural North won by four votes, while the UDP–NABR candidate in Toledo East was elected by the same margin. The PUP candidate in Corozal Southwest won by three votes, while in Collet, the UDP–NABR candidate won by a single vote.

One NABR candidate, Philip Goldson, was elected.

PartyVotes%Seats /–
People's United Party36,08251.2313–2
UDPNABR34,30648.7116 3
Independents430.0600
Total70,431100.0029 1
Valid votes70,43199.30
Invalid/blank votes4990.70
Total votes70,930100.00
Registered voters/turnout98,37172.10
Source: Nohlen

Results by constituency

[edit]
Constituency PUP UDP-NABR Ind. Valid Total Turnout Registered
Freetown (Belize City) 1214 61.5% 761 38.5% 1975 1977 72% 2758
Caribbean Shores (Belize City) 1275 49.2% 1315 50.8% 2590 2613 67% 3901
Pickstock (Belize City) 740 52.9% 659 47.1% 1399 1407 58% 2424
Fort George (Belize City) 1084 68.3% 504 31.7% 1588 1608 57% 2832
Albert (Belize City) 664 43.4% 865 56.6% 1529 1532 57% 2701
Port Loyola (Belize City) 1130 43.7% 1457 56.3% 2587 2621 62% 4196
Queen's Square (Belize City) 532 31.4% 1162 68.6% 1694 1707 58% 2943
Mesopotomia (Belize City) 735 42.0% 1016 58.0% 1751 1769 58% 3052
Lake Independence (Belize City) 1184 47.6% 1301 52.4% 2485 2504 60% 4139
Collet (Belize City) 950 49.7% 951 49.8% 10 0.5% 1911 1914 60% 3203
Belize Rural Central 1431 72.9% 532 27.1% 1963 1983 71% 2805
Belize Rural North 943 50.1% 939 49.9% 1882 1905 71% 2699
Belize Rural South 1005 56.2% 784 43.8% 1789 1796 81% 2218
Corozal North 1696 59.1% 1172 40.9% 2868 2885 85% 3413
Corozal Bay 1526 53.5% 1329 46.5% 2855 2869 74% 3868
Corozal South East 1950 60.1% 1294 39.9% 3244 3268 89% 3672
Corozal South West 1464 50.1% 1461 49.9% 2925 2938 81% 3646
Orange Walk Central 1408 55.7% 1119 44.3% 2527 2546 78% 3246
Orange Walk North 1421 49.9% 1426 50.1% 2847 2859 85% 3364
Orange Walk South 1498 47.0% 1687 53.0% 3185 3188 87% 3649
Orange Walk East 1404 46.4% 1624 53.6% 3028 3034 81% 3734
Cayo South 1379 52.6% 1212 46.2% 33 1.3% 2624 2664 70% 3795
Cayo North 1872 49.8% 1890 50.2% 3762 3797 76% 4964
Cayo Central 1420 48.5% 1508 51.5% 2928 2953 75% 3934
Cayo West 1382 55.5% 1109 44.5% 2491 2513 79% 3168
Dangriga (Stann Creek) 1151 43.6% 1489 56.4% 2640 2653 64% 4123
Stann Creek West 1016 49.2% 1050 50.8% 2066 2091 77% 2716
Toledo East 1548 49.9% 1552 50.1% 3100 3111 75% 4135
Toledo West 1060 48.2% 1138 51.8% 2198 2225 72% 3073
Total 36082 51.2% 34306 48.7% 43 0.1% 70431 70930 72% 98371
Source: PDBA[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p104 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ^ Ramos, Adele. "Bombshell: Mahmud resigns!", Amandala, 25 November 2014. (accessed 4 December 2014)
  3. ^ "Ruling party gets another seat", Kingston Gleaner, 9 September 1989. (accessed 4 December 2014)
  4. ^ "Belize: Results of Parliamentary Election 1993".