The University of Belize Belmopan campus is currently holding up a student government election. Correspondent Fem Cruz has a report on the event.
FEM CRUZ
“The purpose of this election is for students to elect their president who will represent them next year. William Neal is the Dean of the student’s affairs he brings us up to date.”
WILLIAM NEAL
“This year we had really a renewed interest in president and all the positions. This is the first time in the history of the university that we actually have four candidates vying for president when it comes to the Belmopan campus. We have Yahnira Garcia, we have Carmen Reid, we have Hope Amadi who is the incumbent and we also have Roberto Bedran. It’s really a frenzy because they all have teams and it has been really voracious. UB is a microcosm of the wider society; it just means who we have on campus are not in a bubble, like everybody else they will draw on their own network, they bring in parents, they bring in anybody that they can gather support from to run for the position. We don’t have strict rules when it comes to something like that because it’s all about getting everybody involved; that’s what UB is about. The benefits are numerous. Actually before we didn’t have this kind of interest, it’s usually restricted to one or two candidates but what we have with the four candidates vying, they had to really go out and campaign, talk about the platform to the students. Of course students plan to benefit because i am sure benefit along the line of getting a cupcake today. You know, like is said its representative of what happens in party politics in Belize but at the end of the day the students have a choice and we had a debate even where the candidates had to talk to the students talk about what are their plans, what they would change, all those things. So, the students get an opportunity to make an informed decision instead of settling for who is running and endorsing that they now have to elect the person.”
Election officials expect that the elections will continue thru to sometime around ten tonight. 