Twenty-four disputed voters, a magistrate’s removal order and an election already decided. The UDP’s Cayo Executive is now pressing the Elections and Boundaries Department to explain how those names allegedly appeared on a supplementary voters’ list and whether any of those individuals cast ballots in the 2025 General Election. Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai says the department is awaiting the outcome of a High Court appeal. But Alberto August argues that does not answer the central question: how were the names added while the magistrate’s order remained in effect?
Alberto August
Alberto August, Former Chairman, UDP
“When the supplementary came out, those persons, despite the court order, remained on the list. And then there was a subsequent situation where over one hundred persons were about to be taken off the list, one hundred and one, I think if I’m not mistaken. And the defendants managed to get the case stated, which means that in our view, that in the event that there was no decision on the matter, then those electors should have gone back to where they came from. In other words, the status quo should have been maintained. If you were trying to come onto the Caya North list from a constituency in Belize City or in – from other areas, then what would have happened was that the status quo should have remained until a decision is made. In other words, they should have stayed from whence they came. But no, surprisingly, all of them, contrary to the decision of the magistrate, remained on the Cayo North list and they continue to be there. That is a major concern of ours.”
The law puts the Revising Officer in charge. That officer hears objections, strikes out dead or disqualified voters and signs the final revised register.
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