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

← 1984 4 September 1989 1993 →

All 28 seats in the House of Representatives
Turnout72.62%
  First party Second party
  George Cadle Price Manuel Esquivel
Leader George Cadle Price Manuel Esquivel
Party PUP UDP
Leader since 1956 1983
Leader's seat Pickstock Caribbean Shores
Last election 7 seats 21 seats
Seats won 15 13
Seat change Increase8 Decrease8
Popular vote 29,986 28,900
Percentage 50.9% 49.0%
Swing Increase6.9 Decrease5.1

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

Manuel Esquivel
UDP

Subsequent Prime Minister

George Cadle Price
PUP

Background

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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

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's United Party29,98650.8715+8
United Democratic Party28,90049.0213–8
Independents650.1100
Total58,951100.00280
Valid votes58,95198.33
Invalid/blank votes1,0031.67
Total votes59,954100.00
Registered voters/turnout82,55672.62
Source: Nohlen

By constituency

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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: Belize Times[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p104 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ^ General Election 1989 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 9 October 2014)
  3. ^ The Right Honourable George Cadle Price, AmbergrisCaye.com. (accessed 9 October 2014)
  4. ^ The Belize Times, 10 September 1989, pC–D