1993 Belizean general election
30 June 1993
All 29 seats in the House of Representatives
Turnout72.10%
  First party Second party
  Manuel Esquivel George Cadle Price
Leader Manuel Esquivel George Cadle Price
Party UDP–NABR PUP
Leader since 1983 1956
Leader's seat Caribbean Shores Pickstock
Last election 13 seats 15 seats
Seats won 16 13
Seat change Increase3 Decrease2
Popular vote 34,306 36,082
Percentage 48.7% 51.2%
Swing Decrease0.3 Increase0.3
Popular vote by constituency. As Belize uses the FPTP electoral system, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each constituency
Prime Minister before election

George Cadle Price
PUP

 Subsequent Prime Minister

Manuel Esquivel
UDP

General elections were held in Belize on 30 June 1993.[1] Although the People's United Party received the most votes, the United Democratic Party–National Alliance for Belizean Rights alliance won the most seats. Voter turnout was 72.1%.[1]

Background

British forces, kept in Belize by agreement of its government since independence in 1981, were scheduled to leave in 1993 or 1994. There was widespread belief that Belize would fall prey to Guatemalan incursions if the British left.

The PUP won the previous election with a two-seat majority. However, by early 1993 its majority had increased to six thanks to newly elected UDP Area Rep. William Usher of Toledo West crossing the floor to the PUP days after the 1989 election, and a January 1993 by-election win in Freetown after the UDP's Derek Aikman was forced to resign due to bankruptcy.[2][3] Success in the subsequent March municipal elections also gave the PUP added confidence.

Meanwhile, the UDP had been in apparent disarray since 1991, when a group led by longtime Area Rep. Philip Goldson broke with the party to form the National Alliance for Belizean Rights over disagreements on how to handle the longstanding Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute. This all compelled Prime Minister George Price to call elections nearly 18 months early (they were not constitutionally due until at least December 1994).

With Price's move the UDP and NABR promptly sought a coalition to achieve victory at the polls. However, Goldson was the NABR's only successful candidate. Although the PUP won a majority of votes nationwide, the UDP/NABR coalition won a slim majority of seats and therefore formed the next government. The election would be Price's last as PUP leader after over 35 years. He was succeeded as party leader in 1996 by Said Musa.

Results

The results were extremely close in several constituencies. In Caribbean Shores and Stann Creek West the UDP–NABR candidates won by 40 and 34 votes. The UDP–NABR candidate in Cayo North won by 18 votes. In Orange Walk North, the UDP–NABR won by five votes. The PUP candidate in Belize Rural North won by four votes, while the UDP–NABR candidate in Toledo East was elected by the same margin. The PUP candidate in Corozal Southwest won by three votes, while in Collet, the UDP–NABR candidate won by a single vote.

One NABR candidate, Philip Goldson, was elected.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's United Party36,08251.2313–2
UDP–NABR34,30648.7116+3
Independents430.0600
Total70,431100.0029+1
Valid votes70,43199.30
Invalid/blank votes4990.70
Total votes70,930100.00
Registered voters/turnout98,37172.10
Source: Nohlen

Results by constituency

constituencyPUPUDP-NABRInd.tot. validtot. turnouttot. registered
Freetown (Belize City) 121461,5%76138,5%1975197772%2758
Caribbean Shores (Belize City) 127549,2%131550,8%2590261367%3901
Pickstock (Belize City) 74052,9%65947,1%1399140758%2424
Fort George (Belize City) 108468,3%50431,7%1588160857%2832
Albert (Belize City) 66443,4%86556,6%1529153257%2701
Port Loyola (Belize City) 113043,7%145756,3%2587262162%4196
Queen's Square (Belize City) 53231,4%116268,6%1694170758%2943
Mesopotomia (Belize City) 73542,0%101658,0%1751176958%3052
Lake Independence (Belize City) 118447,6%130152,4%2485250460%4139
Collet (Belize City) 95049,7%95149,8%100,5%1911191460%3203
Belize Rural Central 143172,9%53227,1%1963198371%2805
Belize Rural North 94350,1%93949,9%1882190571%2699
Belize Rural South 100556,2%78443,8%1789179681%2218
Corozal North 169659,1%117240,9%2868288585%3413
Corozal Bay 152653,5%132946,5%2855286974%3868
Corozal South East 195060,1%129439,9%3244326889%3672
Corozal South West 146450,1%146149,9%2925293881%3646
Orange Walk Central 140855,7%111944,3%2527254678%3246
Orange Walk North 142149,9%142650,1%2847285985%3364
Orange Walk South 149847,0%168753,0%3185318887%3649
Orange Walk East 140446,4%162453,6%3028303481%3734
Cayo South 137952,6%121246,2%331,3%2624266470%3795
Cayo North 187249,8%189050,2%3762379776%4964
Cayo Central 142048,5%150851,5%2928295375%3934
Cayo West 138255,5%110944,5%2491251379%3168
Dangriga (Stann Creek) 115143,6%148956,4%2640265364%4123
Stann Creek West 101649,2%105050,8%2066209177%2716
Toledo East 154849,9%155250,1%3100311175%4135
Toledo West 106048,2%113851,8%2198222572%3073
Total 3608251,2%3430648,7%430,1%704317093072%98371
source: [4]

References

  1. 1 2 Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p104 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ↑ Ramos, Adele. "Bombshell: Mahmud resigns!", Amandala, 25 November 2014. (accessed 4 December 2014)
  3. ↑ "Ruling party gets another seat", Kingston Gleaner, 9 September 1989. (accessed 4 December 2014)
  4. ↑ "Belize: Results of Parliamentary Election 1993".
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