Independent Marcel Bedran enters electorial race in Cayo North
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As the March 7th General Elections draw nearer, the major political parties; the Peoples United Party and the United Democratic Party, are mobilizing their efforts. While they are making preparations the Belize Unity Alliance, the latest addition to Belize’s political scene, is also engaging and pooling their efforts together. That means this year's general elections will see the largest representation yet of independent candidates across the country. Yesterday morning Marcel Bedran announced yesterday morning that he will be running as an independent candidate in Cayo North in the upcoming general elections. The endorsement was held at 11am at the IT-VET compound in San Ignacio Town, the heart of the Cayo North constituency. The event was attended by several supporters and well-wishers. PlusNews spoke with Marcel Bedran after the event.
Marcel Bedran, Aspirant for Cayo North, Independent
This purpose to run to represent my people has been in my heart for many years and what catapulted me was the people coming to me and telling me ‘We need representation Marcel.’ It is actually the people that came to me and said ‘Would you run, would you be our representative?’ So I took that as an encouraging step and then I decided to go another step further and I said ‘Let me start doing some door to door on my own’ - that cemented the decision to run. Door to door, you will find out the needs of the people and as I mentioned earlier in the press conference, the needs are so minute; people are not asking for the sun and the moon and the stars. People are asking for little things and simple things that an area representative ought not to be even questioning. It should be a daily job.
We asked Bedran why he decided to run as an independent candidate as opposed to running under a mass political party.
Marcel Bedran
We all originate somewhere along the line from one of these two major parties, but if we just look at the history of the last two elections, what are we doing? One major party has twenty-five seats and the other one has six and he goes for ten years and then the next one comes around and gets the same. There has never been a balance in the House of Representatives. If we sit down Mr. Louis, and look at the division -three-hundred thirty-thousand people have split because of political partisans. We have divided our little nation, I saw it on Sunday when I was in Bullet Tree Falls; I saw the animosity in people and the anger in people. People are fed up; they are looking for a viable choice, an option and this is what the Belize Unity Alliance is now offering.
Bedran shared with us some of the plans he intends to implement for if he is elected.
Marcel Bedran
The list is long, but I have started by looking at our institutions first of all and will start at the bottom of the hill at the Town Council. Let’s start getting with the mayor; there’s the police station. I am a member of the People Coalition; I sit in the meetings. Then come right up the hill, there is the Octavia Waight Centre that needs expansion. We cannot put one more elderly person in that institution. We need rooms and expansion. ITVET, where we are right now today? We need scholarships for these young children who academically in the high school systems can’t make it. That doesn’t mean that they can’t continue to further their education. So it’s bringing people together.
While many voters may entertain the thought of voting for an independent candidate those thoughts may be tempered by the underlying tradition of aligning themselves to one of the two major political parties. We asked Bedran why voters should take a chance on him, an independent candidate.
Marcel Bedran
I was one of those persons that was aligned. I got sick and tired, so I made up my mind. Now not everyone will come that easy, so we have to educate. So when I walk door to door, I speak to people and I say ‘Freedom to vote without fear.’ This is one of the major things that we are seeing. People are afraid to go outside of that barrier or partisan politics. However, I think our people are educated, Belizeans are smart enough to know that change is in the atmosphere; they can see it now obviously. We are stepping up and with their support; we will make a difference in this country.
Marcel Bedran will be going up against incumbent, Salvador Fernandez of the UDP and Joseph Mahmud of the PUP.
