Accuracy * Efficiency * Compliance * Credibility
EBD Holds 5th in the Series National Dialogue for a Culture of Democracy in Collaboration with the University of Belize (Cont'd)
topics presented were Appeals, Objections, Scrutineering and Perusal: the Legal Perspective; Distributed Governance- the Responsibility of Participation; and Appeals, Objections, Scrutinizing and Perusal: the Practice.
The Guest Speaker, Dr. Corinth Morter Lewis, President of the University of Belize, welcomed the collaboration of UB and the Elections and Boundaries Department and urged the participants, in particular the students, to take a proactive approach in the area of participation.
In her Welcome Remarks, Mrs. Myrtle Palacio, Chief Elections Officer, invited all to participate in the department's journey--the continued effort at Voter Education and Community Outreach. The Department, she said, "is in the election business, where failure is not an option." Mrs. Palacio challenged the students to empower themselves by knowing their rights and responsibilities under the law and practice pertaining to voter registration.
The Department has conducted workshops on The Role of Stakeholders, the Registration Process, the Revision Process, and Boundary Delimitation.
The department continues its effort to encourage public participation, forge partnerships and to provide efficient and effective service delivery.
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Many Thanks
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THE WHAT AND HOW OF
By Myrtle Palacio
What Is Boundary Redistricting?
Boundary Redistricting or Boundary Delimitation are terminologies used interchangeably for the process of fixing, drawing, altering and/or increasing electoral boundaries. It is done to decrease substantial differences in the population ratio between electoral divisions. A new Electoral List compiled at Re-registration in 1998, demonstrated a difference in population ratio between the largest and smallest Electoral Divisions of 3.5 to 1. By September 2003, the gap widened to 4.4 to 1. The growth of the Electoral Roll at September 2003 shows that ten Electoral Divisions have grown by 25% or more. Five of these are in the Belize District namely, Lake Independence, Queen's Square, Belize Rural South, Pickstock and Port Loyola, in ascending order. Of the remaining five, one is Orange Walk South and all four Electoral Divisions in the Cayo District. Boundary Redistricting is most commonly associated with majority electoral systems as ours. Success at the polls in the First Past the Post Electoral System (FPP) relies on garnering a majority number of single member constituencies.
Did This Happen Before?
The last Boundary Redistricting Exercise was conducted in 2002. Then, all communities located in the Stann Creek District that were placed in the Toledo East Electoral Division were transferred to the Stann Creek West Electoral Division. The ultimate effect was the redrawing or adjusting of the boundaries of 2 Electoral Divisions -- Toledo East and Stann Creek West. The communities affected included the Villages of Independence and Placencia. Voters registered in these communities, voted in the Stann Creek West Electoral Division in March 2003. An increase in the number of Electoral Divisions occurred as follows:
1954 from 6 to 9; 1961 to 18; 1984 to 28; 1993 to 29
Electoral Boundaries were altered in the following constituencies:
1993 in Port Loyola and Collet
1997 in Cayo Central and Cayo South
1998 in Belize District:
Caribbean Shores, Freetown, Fort George, Pickstock, Belize Rural Central
1998 in Corozal District:
Corozal North, Corozal Bay, and Corozal South West
Orange Walk District:
Orange Walk North, Orange Walk East, Orange Walk Central
Who Decides On Boundary Redistricting?
The Elections and Boundaries Commission makes proposals to the National Assembly, guided by Section 90 of the Belize Constitution. The National Assembly may accept all or part of the proposals submitted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission. The National Assembly, which consists of Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, makes the final decision. The Elections and Boundaries Commission consists of five Members headed by a Chairman as per Section 88 of the Belize Constitution.
What Is The Legal Framework?
The present legal guidelines as amended in 1988 are set out in Section 90 of the Belize Constitution.
Pre - 1988 Constitutional Amendment
"An electoral division shall consist of not less than 2,000 and not more
than 3,000 registered electors"
Post - 1988 Constitutional Amendment
"Each electoral division shall have as nearly as may be, an equal number
of persons eligible to vote"
Other Determinants:
- The total number of electoral divisions "shall be, not less than 28"
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Regard be given to transport, physical features, and other facilities of the electoral division
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The new electoral changes come into effect at the next General Elections held after the redistricting exercise
The conclusion of the Solicitor General in a Report stated that
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The meaning of the phrase "As nearly as may be" as presently set out in section 90 (1) (a), was deliberately left for the determination by the Elections and Boundaries Commission to make proposals based on the population density.
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In so doing the Elections and Boundaries Commission is to consider physical features, transportation needs and other characteristics of each division.
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A division should have either a minimum number, or a maximum number of electors as determined by the Elections and Boundaries Commission
When Will The Public Be Made Aware Of The New Electoral Divisions?
The Representation of the People Act (ROPA), Chapter 9 of the Laws of Belize, states that after the redistricting becomes Law, the Chief Elections Officer of the Elections and Boundaries Department (EBD) is to:
- Adjust the Electoral Registers of the Electoral Divisions affected
Compile new Registers of electors if there are new Electoral Divisions
- Within 30 days publish Provisional Registers
The EBD is headed by the Chief Elections Officer. It is an arm of government under the Ministry of the Public Service. All staff members are Public Officers as defined by the Belize Constitution.
Is There Gerrymandering In Belize?
Gerrymandering is a term coined in North America to reflect constituencies that are drawn to give advantage to one Political Party over the other, or to disproportionately favour one Political Party over the other. In the political history of Belize, this has not happened. Also voting patterns in Post- Independent Belize demonstrate:
- Frequent change of governments
Change in the number of seats overwhelming on the side of the winning Political Party
- The winning Political Party barely garnering the popular vote
......to be continued in next issue
- Adjust the Electoral Registers of the Electoral Divisions affected
Boundary Redistricting Task Force Submits Final Report to Elections and Boundaries Commission
The Task Force's Terms of Reference, as summarized below for ease of reference, were seven guidelines as stipulated in the summary of recommendations from the first Task Force Report:
- Set a tolerance limit of 15% for each constituency;
- Utilize geographic and physical features such as roads, rivers, crests of hills, park and/or estate boundaries as the relevant features to define the limits of electoral boundaries and polling areas;
- Maintain as far as possible electoral divisions within district administrative boundaries;
- Keep adjustments to the minimum: transfer adjoining polling areas or part thereof from the division with excess to the division with deficiency;
- Expand the Cayo District by 2 divisions to 6;
- All boundaries to be contiguous and where it is not possible to utilize natural boundaries and physical features, geographic referencing should be used;
- Include complete communities within polling areas where possible.
The Task Force's report can be viewed in its entirety on the Elections and Boundaries Department's website at www.belize-elections.org.
A comparative statistical analysis on the present and effects of proposed changes on Electoral Population , by Mrs. I. Myrtle Palacio, Chief Elections Officer, can be found on page 6 of this newsletter.
MOTTO
COMPLIANCE CREDIBILITY |
New Member of Elections and Boundaries Commission Sworn In
A new member of the Elections and Boundaries Commission was sworn in on 21 October 2004. Mr. Dean Lindo, Senior Counsel and Attorney-at-law, was sworn in by Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh, in the Chief Justice's chambers in Belize City.
Mr. Lindo was appointed by His Excellency the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, with the concurrence of the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Lindo replaces Mr. Herbert Panton who resigned his position.
Annual Staff Retreat and General Assembly to be Held on 17 December 2004
Staff countrywide will be culminating for the department's fifth Annual Staff Retreat and General Assembly on Friday, 17 December 2004 at Old Belize on the Western Highway. The theme for this year's event is None of Us is as Good as All of Us: Each One Teach One, Empowerment for Success.
Mr. Carl Smith, former Director, Management Service Division, Ministry of the Public Service, will be facilitating the event. Staff will be apprised of developments within the department, and topical areas of interest will be presented by experts including Dra. Claudina Cayetano, who will present on the topic How to Deal With Stress , and Magistrate Margaret Nicholas, who will present on Legal Issues Concerning the Family - - Child and Spouse Maintenance, Divorce and Common law union.
The highlight of the day will be the staff's participation in developing the department's vision statement and the announcement of staff awards including the Most Productive Officer Award, Award for Most Initiative, Best Community Outreach Award, and the coveted Staff of the Year Award. This will be followed by the traditional Christmas luncheon.
The objectives of the department's Staff Retreat and General Assembly are to build capacity by bringing all staff together for open exchange, to foster development through divergent viewpoints, and to create consensus around future development activities.
Goal To encourage public participation, forge partnerships and to provide efficient and effective service delivery. |
| "The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy." Florence Shinn "We can learn to be self-defining. We can learn not to ask others to form our identities for us. Then we can be truly free and bring the gift of ourselves to any relationship." Unknown "When we change ourselves to fit into a situation, we may be depriving that situation of the very element it needs to become what it can become." Unknown |
