A political scandal may now be testing the strength of the P.U.P.’s support in Belmopan. On Friday, Mayor Pablo Cawich and his team held an endorsement convention as they prepare to seek a second term. Ahead of the event, Cawich told Plus TV they hoped to attract at least two thousand supporters. But despite free food and two-dollar beers, credible estimates placed the turnout at roughly three hundred. With the political futures of Oscar Mira and Florencio Marin Jr. still unresolved, the noticeably smaller crowd raises a bigger question: is the fallout from the Mira Millions scandal reaching Belmopan City Hall? Here is what Mayor Cawich said before the convention.
Pablo Cawich
Pablo Cawich, Mayor, Belmopan
“The same sitting council will be endorsed as the team that will represent the PUP for the upcoming municipal elections. That is the first event. We do notice that it is going to be raining. We were trying to target approximately two thousand people. We have a full agenda scheduled. We have different representatives and ministers speaking along with the official presentation of the team. The prime minister will also be joining us tonight. We will be having free food and soft drinks to accompany the food and two-dollar beer along with Super Furia who will be entertaining the crowd after the official ceremony.”
So, with the municipal election only five months away, can Cawich and his team convince residents that they are fit and ready for the job of municipal leadership or will the Mira Millions scandal be a deciding factor for voters at the polls?
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