Municipal elections were held in Belize on 7 March 2018. Voters elected a total 67 representatives. This includes a mayor in each of the nine communities, 42 town councils and 16 city councillors (ten in Belize City and six in Belmopan). The elections saw the People's United Party approach local parity with the ruling United Democratic Party. In 2015, the UDP won 62 out of the 67 seats nationwide, with the opposition People's United Party won the remaining seats.[1] In 2018, the UDP won 41 seats, with the PUP picking up the remaining 26. The PUP gained complete council control of Belize City and Corozal Town, picked up a council seat in Dangriga, and regained complete control of the Orange Walk Town council.[2] The Belize Progressive Party had 13 councillor candidates in three elections (Belize City, Belmopan, and Punta Gorda), and mayoral candidates in those three elections as well as in San Ignacio/Santa Elena. There were also seven independent candidates for mayor.
Summary of the 7 March 2018 Belizean Municipal Election [2]
Party
Candidates
2015 Counselors
2018 Counselors
+/-
2015 Mayors
2018 Mayors
+/-
UDP
67
54
35
-19
8
6
-2
PUP
67
4
23
+19
1
3
+2
BPP
17
0
0
0
0
0
0
Ind.
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total
158
58
58
-
9
9
-
Belize City
The UDP could not hold onto its mayoral seat as Dion Leslie fell to PUP nominee Bernard Wagner, losing by nearly 1,000 votes. Independent candidate Eustaquio "Ernesto" Torres also ran for the mayoral seat. The PUP also swept all 10 seats on the Belize City Council.[2]
Belmopan
In Belmopan, UDP mayoral candidate Khalid Belisle won re-election over the PUP's Tanya Santos and independent Richard Albert Smith. The UDP also held onto all six city council seats.[2]
Belize portal 