1989 Belizean general election

General elections were held in Belize on 4 September 1989.[1] The result was a narrow victory for the People's United Party, which won 15 of the 28 seats. Voter turnout was 72.6%.[1]

1989 Belizean general election

4 September 1989
All 28 seats in the Belize House of Representatives
First party Second party   Leader George Cadle Price Manuel Esquivel Party PUP UDP Leader since 1956 1983 Leader's seat Candidate in Pickstock Caribbean Shores Last election 7 seats 21 seats Seats won 15 seats 13 seats Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 29,986 28,900 Percentage 50.9% 49.0% Swing 6.9 5.1
Prime Minister before election Manuel Esquivel UDP Subsequent Prime Minister George Cadle Price PUP

Background

The ruling United Democratic Party was finishing its first term and sought re-election on the basis of improved economic indicators and standard of living. The People's United Party painted them as lusting after foreign aid and recognition, particularly from the United States and Taiwan.

Another issue was national security; the PUP attacked a CIA-like operation known as the Secret Intelligence Service as being a spy network for the UDP and promised freedom of the press and other fundamental freedoms enshrined in the constitution.

Longtime PUP leader George Cadle Price returned to both the House of Representatives and as prime minister after his surprise ouster in the 1984 election, winning the Pickstock constituency in the Belize District.[2][3]

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/-
People's United Party	29,986	50.9	15	+8
United Democratic Party	28,900	49.0	13	-8
Independents	65	0.1	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	1,003	-	-	-
Total	59,954	100	28	0
Source: Nohlen

By constituency

Constituency	Candidate	Party	Registered voters	Votes cast	Turnout	Votes	%
Caribbean Shores	Louis Humphreys	PUP	2779	1745	62.7%	775	44.4%
	Manuel Esquivel	UDP				957	54.8%
Freetown	Derek Aikman	UDP	2771	1774	64.0%	961	54.2%
	Araceli "Lita" Hunter Krohn	PUP				783	44.1%
Pickstock	George Cadle Price	PUP	2453	1514	61.7%	906	59.8%
	Cyril Davis	UDP				584	34.5%
Fort George	Said Musa	PUP	2833	1780	62.8%	1105	62.0%
	Dean Lindo	UDP				656	36.8%
Lake Independence	Carlos Diaz	PUP	3376	2115	62.6%	1091	51.5%
	Hubert Elrington	UDP				978	46.2%
Albert	Roy Young	PUP	2393	1397	58.0%	560	40.0%
	Phillip Goldson	UDP				812	58.1%
Collet	Frank Lizama	UDP	2656	1616	60.8%	661	40.9%
	Remijio Montejo	PUP				940	58.2%
Mesopotamia	Curl Thompson	UDP	2818	1570	55.7%	834	53.1%
	Stephen Latchman	PUP				713	45.4%
Queen's Square	Dean Barrow	UDP	2896	1697	58.5%	1085	63.9%
	Tom Greenwood	PUP				588	34.6%
Port Loyola	Henry Young	UDP	3002	1759	58.5%	991	56.3%
	Ernest Staine	PUP				695	39.5%
Belize Rural North	Ewing Maxwell Samuels	PUP	2469	1653	66.9	760	45.9
	Samuel Rhaburn	UDP				806	48.8%
	Rufus X	Independent				65	3.9%
Belize Rural South	Rudolph Thompson	UDP	3350	2297	68.5%	762	33.2%
	Glenn Godfrey	PUP				1489	64.8%
Orange Walk North	Santiago Rosado	PUP	2982	2641	88.5%	1256	47.5%
	Ruben Campos	UDP				1338	50.6%
Orange Walk Central	Leopoldo Briceno	PUP	2717	2170	79.8%	1144	52.7%
	Leliz Carballo	UDP				1010	46.5%
Orange Walk East	Ramon Cervantes	PUP	3264	2706	82.9%	1195	44.2%
	Elodio Aragon	UDP				1464	54.1%
Orange Walk South	Guadalupe Pech	PUP	3057	2743	81.7	1378	50.2%
	Onesimo Pech	UDP				1331	48.5%
Cayo North	Salvador Fernandez	UDP	3751	2951	78.6%	1562	52.9%
	Ismael "Miley" Garcia	PUP				1321	44.8%
Cayo South	Samuel Waight	PUP	3199	2382	74.0%	1425	59.8%
	Philip Brackett	UDP				910	38.2%
Cayo West	Miguel Ruiz	PUP	2539	2010	79.0%	1033	51.3%
	Carlos Leon	UDP				929	46.2%
Cayo Central	Daniel Silva	PUP	3249	2491	76.6%	1277	51.2%
	Eduardo "Dito" Juan	UDP				1152	46.2%
Corozal North	Valdemar Castillo	PUP	2922	2522	86.3%	1371	54.4%
	Richard Quan	UDP				1119	44.4%
Corozal Southwest	Asterio Ortega	UDP	2821	2398	85.0%	1309	54.6%
	Everaldo Puck	PUP				1055	43.9%
Corozal Bay	Juan Vildo Marin	PUP	3336	2544	76.0%	1258	50.5%
	Israel Alpuche	UDP				1201	47.2%
Corozal Southeast	Florencio Marin	PUP	3203	2887	90.0%	1528	52.9%
	Doroteo Pott	UDP				1320	45.7%
Dangriga	Theodore Aranda	PUP	3486	2330	66.8%	1233	52.9
	Randolph Enriquez	UDP				1057	45.4%
Stann Creek West	Melvin Hulse	UDP	2286	1783	77.9%	881	49.4%
	Conrad Lewis	PUP				871	48.8%
Toledo East	Michael Espat	PUP	3375	2494	73.8%	1298	52.0%
	Charles Wagner	UDP				1168	46.8%
Toledo West	William "Dennis" Usher	UDP	2573	1985	53.5%	1062	53.5%
	Samuel Alexander "Alejandro" Vernon	PUP				911	45.9%
Source: The Belize Times, Sun, Sept. 10, 1989. pgs. C and D

References

1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p104 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
2. General Election 1989, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 9 October 2014)
3. The Right Honourable George Cadle Price, AmbergrisCaye.com. (accessed 9 October 2014)