Dangriga (Belize House constituency) explained

Dangriga
Parl Name:Belize House of Representatives
District:Stann Creek
Electorate:6,275 (2015)
Towns:Dangriga
Year:1961 as Stann Creek Town, renamed 1979
Members Label:Area Representative
Members:Louis Zabaneh
Party: People's United Party

Dangriga is an electoral constituency in the Stann Creek District represented in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belize since 2020 by Louis Zabaneh of the People's United Party.

Profile

The Dangriga constituency was created as Stann Creek Town for the 1961 general election as part of a major nationwide redistricting. The constituency assumed its current name as of the 1979 general election. It includes the town of Dangriga as well as the nearby Sarawee and Hope Creek areas. It is bordered by the Stann Creek West constituency and the Caribbean Sea.[1]

July 2015 by-election

In June 2015 Area Rep. Ivan Ramos resigned after controversially failing to retain his standard bearer status with the People's United Party. A by-election to determine Ramos' successor was held 8 July 2015.[2] Nominations were formally made on 22 June. Former Dangriga Mayor Frank "Papa" Mena was the UDP nominee, while retired educator Anthony Sabal stood as the PUP candidate after initial reports the PUP might not contest the by-election at all.[3] [4] Llewellyn Lucas from the Belize Green Independent Party was also nominated, becoming that party's first official candidate in any election since it was founded in 2012.[5] A fourth candidate endorsed by both of Belize's other active minor parties, the People's National Party and Vision Inspired by the People, was disqualified due to holding dual citizenship. Belizean candidates for public office may not hold citizenship in any other country.[6]

The by-election was won by Mena with 57.89 percent of the vote, giving the UDP its third consecutive by-election win dating to 2003.[7]

Area representatives

ElectionArea representative[8] Party
1961Allan ArthursPUP
1965Allan ArthursPUP
1969Allan ArthursPUP
1974Paul GuerreroUDP
1979Theodore ArandaUDP
1983CDP
1984Simeon SampsonPUP
1989Theodore ArandaPUP
1993Russell GarciaUDP
1998Theodore ArandaPUP
2003Sylvia FloresPUP
2008Arthur RochesUDP
2012Ivan RamosPUP
2015 by-electionFrank MenaUDP
2015Frank MenaUDP
2020Louis ZabanehPUP

Notes and References

  1. http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/b/belize/belizemapsindex.shtml Belize election maps
  2. http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=32683 "Bye-Election In July! PUP Hon. Ivan Ramos Steps Down As Representative"
  3. http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=32746 "PUP Still 'Assessing' While Bye-election Date Drawing Nigh"
  4. Trujillo, Renee. "Political Momentum Picks Up in Dangriga", LOVE FM, 17 June 2015 (accessed 18 June 2015)
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYMUDlHv4TY "Nomination Day for Bi Election in Dangriga"
  6. Clarke, Kareem. "Race for Dangriga seat in high gear", Amandala, 23 June 2015 (accessed 23 June 2015)
  7. Humes, Aaron "Frank 'Papa' Mena is the new Dangriga area representative ", Breaking Belize News, 8 July 2015. (accessed 8 July 2015)
  8. http://www.elections.gov.bz Elections Results