What’s the politics like in Belize?

Local politics in Belize is pretty much centered on Belize and Belizean activities. They do not really get too caught up in international politics, not even with our neighboring countries. Belizeans are very focused on building Belize and making sure that Belize and Belizeans get priority in their own country.
 
Belize has a parliamentary system, which is similar to the system of government in the United Kingdom. The leader of the government is the prime minister and the opposing...

Local politics in Belize is pretty much centered on Belize and Belizean activities. They do not really get too caught up in international politics, not even with our neighboring countries. Belizeans are very focused on building Belize and making sure that Belize and Belizeans get priority in their own country.
 
Belize has a parliamentary system, which is similar to the system of government in the United Kingdom. The leader of the government is the prime minister and the opposing party is the opposition. There is a senate and there is a cabinet.
 
Parliament makes the laws and the cabinet gives permission for certain things to be done that are not so much law making policies, but they can prevent laws from being passed.
 
The opposition is the opposition in public, but privately, they are best friends.

 

(Former Prime Minster of Belize, Said Musa speaking at the UN, pictured.)

Politics of Belize takes place in a frame work of a parliament representative democratic monarch, where by Queen Elizabeth II serves as Head of State and the Prime Minister as the head of government, and of a multiple part system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative Power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of Belize. The Part system is dominated by two parties, People United Party and United Democratic Party. There have been other small parties...

Politics of Belize takes place in a frame work of a parliament representative democratic monarch, where by Queen Elizabeth II serves as Head of State and the Prime Minister as the head of government, and of a multiple part system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative Power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of Belize. The Part system is dominated by two parties, People United Party and United Democratic Party. There have been other small parties that have participated at all levels of governmental election in the past. Although none of these small political parities have ever won any significant number of sears and/or offices, their challenge has been forgoing over the years. Constitutional safe guards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. the judiciary is independence of the executive and the legislature. Jurisprudence is based on the English common law.

Politics in Belize mirrors that in the United Kingdom. Belize, a former colony of England, inherited the Westminster system with the head of state being the governor general and the head of government being the prime minister. The prime minister is the leader of the political party that is able to win the most seats in a general election.

 

There are two dominant parties in Belizer, the People's United Party (PUP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP). There is no...

Politics in Belize mirrors that in the United Kingdom. Belize, a former colony of England, inherited the Westminster system with the head of state being the governor general and the head of government being the prime minister. The prime minister is the leader of the political party that is able to win the most seats in a general election.

 

There are two dominant parties in Belizer, the People's United Party (PUP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP). There is no real distinction in political philosophy between the two, as in the US where the Democrats are seen as more liberal and the Republicans as conservative in their policy positions. In Belize, parties compete on a single point of who can best reduce poverty and push a development agenda that would result in lower cost of living, better physical infrastructure and social facilities. There isn't much debate or consideration for items such as abortion, gay rights, finance laws or other sophisticated policy issues, which feature highly in politics of more advance economies.

 

(Prime Minister of Belize since 2008, Dean Barrow, pictured.)

 

 

Politics in Belize is the national sport.  There is the red team, the UDP (United Democratic Party), and the blue team, the PUP (People's United Party).  There are certain free agents that have crossed over back and forth, but most of the time, people are born wearing their team colors and they stick with it. 
 
In the general elections, they have a tendency to vote against a party more than for a party.  A lot of times, rather than “we need to get the...

Politics in Belize is the national sport.  There is the red team, the UDP (United Democratic Party), and the blue team, the PUP (People's United Party).  There are certain free agents that have crossed over back and forth, but most of the time, people are born wearing their team colors and they stick with it. 
 
In the general elections, they have a tendency to vote against a party more than for a party.  A lot of times, rather than “we need to get the other party in because they have such a great platform”, it's more of a reaction to the frustration with whatever party happens to be in power at that time.  And then “Okay, let's have a change now and let's see if the other party can do better.”  This goes back and forth.  
 
In Belize people are very passionate about their politics, they are justifiably frustrated with corruption or political misdeeds. It is similar to what we are witnessing in the US now. Belize is a democratic country and they do make their opinions known.  If there's something that they don't like they will take their bicycles, cars, buses, horses, or whatever they have and descend upon the nation’s capital, Belmopan, and hold up their signs and peacefully make their point.  I've seen that happen and it's a great display of democracy.  There have been times when “the people have spoken” and pending legislation has been pulled because it's obvious that the people were not happy.  I think that's a great display of democracy.

 

(Protest calling for the resignation of the prime minister of Belize, pictured.)