Omar Figueroa presses allegations of electoral fraud in Cayo North; Elections and Boundaries waits for appeal of court ruling

Published by BBNTEAM at December 4, 2024

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Posted: Wednesday, December 4, 2024. 12:52 pm CST.

Photo Credit: Channel 5 News

By Aaron Humes: With potentially only months to go before a general election, Dr Omar Figueroa, the standard bearer and former area representative in Cayo North which covers most of San Ignacio Town, is pressing for a resolution to allegations of voter registration and transfer fraud.

Figueroa recently wrote Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai referencing a court ruling to remove 20 names from the Cayo North voter list for improper registration as determined by the San Ignacio Magistrate Court. The ruling is under appeal, but Figueroa charges that certain ‘safe houses’ are being employed in the constituency to register voters who do not actually live there.

Figueroa wrote, “the results of the objection case has substantiated our claim that there indeed exists a well-organized scheme of electoral fraud. I trust that your office will address the matter with the urgency it deserves….The level of potential fraud taking place in Cayo North is extremely serious, it is well organized and clearly involves some level of collusion from elements within the registration office of the elections and boundaries department. It is my sincere hope that you will find it urgent and necessary to conduct your own impartial investigation…” He also asked for a face-to-face meeting to go over the evidence.

But Tamai wrote back to say that “the department absolutely rejects your assertions and allegations made in your…letter. Because of the pending appeal, you will appreciate that there is no final determination on the matter. As a result, the Elections and Boundaries Department must allow the process to be finalized and await the outcome of the appeal at the High Court before any further action can be taken.”

Incumbent Michel Chebat deferred comment until a final ruling is made, as has colleague Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, whose Belize Rural Central division is alleged to have been plundered for voters.

But Figueroa himself is not keeping silent, arguing that the same safe houses are still being used to register voters, that the electoral binders themselves are in jeopardy of being manipulated, and that the EBD must follow up sooner rather than later.

As of August 2024, according to the EBD’s figures, there are 8,786 voters registered in Cayo North, the second most in the Cayo District behind Belmopan’s 10,213. Polling Area 73 features 6,764 registered voters, more than any polling area in the Cayo District other than Belmopan which is a single polling area (No. 86). It has three times as many voters as Polling Area 75 (2,022).

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