BELIZE

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Parliament (generic name):

National Assembly

Translated name:

Structure:

Bicameral

Chamber:

House of Representatives

Translated name:

President:

Emil Arguelles ( M)

Secretary General:

Conrad Lewis ( M)

Members (statutory number):

- 31 directly elected
- the Speaker

Members (current number):

Women (current number):

0 ( 0.00%)

Term:

5 years

Last renewal dates:

7 February 2008

Address:

The House of Representatives
National Assembly Building
P.O.Box 139
BELMOPAN, Cayo District
Tel.: 501 822 2141, 2142, 2144
Fax: 501 822 3889
E-mail: ClerkNA@bna.gov.bz

Web site:

http://www.belize.gov.bz/legislative_houseofrep.html

Affiliation to IPU:

Affiliation date(s):

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Electoral Law:

29 March 1978

Last amendment: 7/7/1998

Constituencies:

29 single-member constituencies.

Voting System:

Direct election, simple-majority vote.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by-elections.

Voter requirements:

- age: 18 years
- Belize or British Commonwealth citizens who are domiciled or have resided in the country for at least one year immediately before polling day.
- disqualifications: insanity, undischarged bankruptcy, electoral fraud, sentence to death or imprisonment exceeding one year

Eligibility:

Qualified electors
- age: 18 years
- Belize citizenship
- residence in the country for at least one year immediately prior to nomination.
- ineligibility: allegiance to a foreign State

Incompatibilities:

- election-connected offices
- membership of the armed or police forces
- government contractors

Candidacy requirements:

(data unavailable)

LAST ELECTIONS

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

Dates of election / renewal (from/to):

7 February 2008

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats in the House of Representatives following premature dissolution of this body on 7 January 2008. Elections to the House of Representatives had previously taken place on 5 March 2003.

Background and outcome of elections:

On 7 January 2008, Prime Minister Said Musa asked Governor-General Sir Colville Young to dissolve the parliament, paving the way for the elections to the House of Representatives to be held on 7 February. They were held at the same time as the first-ever referendum in the country, on whether the members of the Senate, currently appointed by the Governor-General, should be directly elected.

In the previous elections held in March 2003, Prime Minister Musa's People's United Party (PUP) had won 22 of the 29 seats at stake, becoming the first party ever to win a second consecutive term in office since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) had taken the remainder.

However, Prime Minister Musa's second term was marred by several incidents. In 2005, the introduction of higher taxes intended to repay the country's US$ 3 billion foreign debt triggered riots. The UDP also alleged that Prime Minister Musa had distributed US$ 10 million, received as aid from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, to PUP supporters.

At stake in the 2008 elections were 31 seats in the enlarged House of Representatives. In all, 93 candidates, including three women, contested the elections. Although three other political parties - the National Reform Party (NRP), the Vision Inspired by the People (VIP), and the National Belizean Alliance (NBA) - also ran, the elections saw once again a duel between the PUP and the UDP, each of which fielded candidates for all the 31 parliamentary seats. The NPR and the NBA had 11 candidates each, while the VIP had four. In addition, there were five independent candidates.

In mid-January, the PUP presented its manifesto entitled "Blueprint - Believe in Belize". It promised to cut income tax, create new jobs, fight crime, and provide a laptop PC for every school child. It also presented a detailed proposal for a new 14-member Senate that would be elected using the proportional representation system, starting from 2009.

The UDP leader, Mr. Dean Oliver Barrow,, firmly opposed the idea of an elected Senate and called for a boycott of the referendum. He nevertheless agreed on the need to reform the Senate, insisting that one additional non-partisan senator should be appointed so as to give a combined majority to the members appointed on the advice of the opposition and non-partisan members.

The UDP's "21 pledges" focused on lowering the cost of living through various measures, including lower sales tax and electricity and telephone rates. It accused the PUP of corruption and mismanagement.

A total of 74.49 per cent of the 156,000 registered voters cast their ballot in the elections. However, only 46.63 per cent voted in the referendum, of which 61.54 per cent supported an elected Senate, while 36.60 per cent did not.

The final results gave 25 seats to the UDP, with over 56 per cent of the valid votes. Although the PUP won over 40 per cent of the valid votes, it obtained only six seats. None of the other parties secured more than eight per cent of the votes. No women were elected.

On 8 February, Mr. Barrow was sworn in as the new Prime Minister.

STATISTICS


Round no 1 (7 February 2008): Election results

Number of registered electors		156'993
Voters		116'943 (74.49%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers		749
Valid votes		116'194

Round no 1: Distribution of votes

Political Group

Candidates

Votes

% of votes

United Democratic Party (UDP)

66'203

56.61

People's United Party (PUP)

47'624

40.72

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group

Total of seats

United Democratic Party (UDP)

People's United Party (PUP)

Comments:

Sources:
- National Assembly (04.03.2008)
- http://www.belize-elections.org/

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men:

Women:

Percent of women:

0.00

Distribution of seats according to age:

Distribution of seats according to profession:

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT

APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE

Title:

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Term:

- duration: 5 years (term of House)
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the House, if he becomes a Minister, if he ceases to be a citizen of Belize or is disqualified by virtue of Section 58(1) of the Belize Constitution

Appointment:

- elected by all Members of the House
- election is held at the first sitting of the newly elected House
- before Members are sworn in

Eligibility:

- any citizen of Belize who satisfies the qualifications required may be a candidate

Voting system:

- formal vote by simple majority
- one round by voice vote

Procedures / results:

- the Clerk presides over the House during the voting
- the Clerk supervises the voting
- the Clerk announces the results
- the results cannot be challenged

STATUS

Status:

- ranks fifth in the hierarchy of State
- comes before the President of the Senate in the order of precedence
- both Presiding Officers preside together over the joint sittings of both Chambers
- in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker can assume his/her role and functions
- is Chairman of the House Committe of Staff

Board:

Material facilities:

- salary of $ 11,520 p.a. Bze dollars
+ special allowance of $2,808 p.a. Bze dollars

FUNCTIONS

Organization of parliamentary business:

- convenes sessions
- establishes and modifies the agenda
- organizes the debates and sets speaking time
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments
- refers texts to a committee for study
- examines the admissibility of request for setting up committees and/or committees of enquiry, proposes or decides on the setting up of such committees
- is entitled to appoint special select committees

Chairing of public sittings:

- can open, adjourn and close sittings by order of the House
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning the House
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak (the Member who catches the Speaker's eye would have the floor)
- establishes the order in which amendments are taken up (last amendments debated first)
- calls for a vote (collection of voices and by division)
- checks the quorum
- authenticates the adopted texts and the records of debates
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the House

Special powers:

- recruits, assigns and promotes staff in his capacity of Chairman of the House Committee of Staff
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the House

Speaking and voting rights, other functions:

NA (no information received)

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE

Nature of the mandate:

Start of the mandate:

Validation of mandates:

End of the mandate:

Can MPs resign ?

Yes

Can MPs lose their mandate ?

Yes

STATUS OF PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

Rank in hierarchy:

Indemnities, facilities and services:

Obligation to declare personal assets:

Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability:

Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability:

EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE

Training:

Participation in the work of the Parliament:

Discipline:

Code (rules) of conduct:

Relations between MPs and pressure group:

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

General Information | Electoral System
Last Elections | Presidency of the Parliament | Parliamentary Mandate
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