Belize elects first black leader, ousts incumbent
Fri Feb 8, 2008 12:11pm EST
By Catherine Bremer
BELIZE CITY (Reuters) - Belize elected Dean Barrow as
its first black prime minister, final results showed
on Friday, as the small Central American nation ended
a decade of one-party rule marked by graft scandals
and economic problems.
Barrow, a former foreign minister, won a sweeping
victory in Thursday's general election, Belize's chief
election officer, Ruth Meighan, told Reuters.
Barrow's United Democratic Party, or UDP, took 25 of
31 constituencies against six for Prime Minister Said
Musa, whose popularity slumped in recent years.
It was only the third defeat in half a century for
Musa's People's United Party, or PUP, which has
dominated politics since the former British colony of
300,000 people elected its first legislative assembly
in 1954.
Belize, known for its laid-back Caribbean vibe, gained
full independence from Britain in 1981.
Barrow's win also makes Musa, a white-haired former
lawyer of Palestinian descent, the latest in a string
of leaders ousted in Caribbean countries over the past
year.
"This clearly is a people's victory. It's the people's
judgment on the PUP. They're giving us a huge vote of
confidence," Barrow, 56, told local radio on Friday as
the count showed him far in the lead.
Barrow ran on a platform of ridding Belize, wedged
between Mexico and Guatemala, of the embezzlement
scandals and financial mismanagement that hurt Musa's
last years in office.
"It's a great feeling. I'm extremely grateful and
humbled," Barrow said, as his supporters drove through
Belize City, hanging out of cars, honking their horns,
waving UDP flags and thumping on car roofs.
In a diverse country of indigenous Maya, Mestizos and
African-descended Creoles and Garifuna, many on the
street were rejoicing at a Creole winning power.
Belize's past leaders were born in Belize but of
European descent.
FISCAL PRUDENCE
Investors in Belize's roughly $1 billion in public
debt expected Barrow to maintain fiscal stability
after a late-2006 debt restructuring stabilized the
country's debt ratings.
"I'm fairly confident that he understands the
importance of fiscal responsibility and transparency,
and that's the key issue," said Bear Stearns analyst
Carl Ross in New York.
"The other issue is getting the economy going, which
means getting investment going in the tourism sector."
Barrow says he plans to get more Belizeans investing
in the tourism industry which, despite the country's
lush jungles and sparkling coral reefs, lags neighbors
Costa Rica and Mexico.
Tall and easy-going with a shaven head and a rapper
son, Barrow appealed to young Belizeans voting for the
first time.
Musa, 63, did not comment on the election result.
Many older Belizeans are strongly attached to Musa's
party for its role in ending British rule and because
local party officials help poor families with school
fees and free household appliances. But anger over tax
hikes and alleged graft scandals erupted in
anti-government riots in 2005. (Editing by John
O'Callaghan)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN0848407320080208?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
Fri Feb 8, 2008 12:11pm EST
By Catherine Bremer
BELIZE CITY (Reuters) - Belize elected Dean Barrow as
its first black prime minister, final results showed
on Friday, as the small Central American nation ended
a decade of one-party rule marked by graft scandals
and economic problems.
Barrow, a former foreign minister, won a sweeping
victory in Thursday's general election, Belize's chief
election officer, Ruth Meighan, told Reuters.
Barrow's United Democratic Party, or UDP, took 25 of
31 constituencies against six for Prime Minister Said
Musa, whose popularity slumped in recent years.
It was only the third defeat in half a century for
Musa's People's United Party, or PUP, which has
dominated politics since the former British colony of
300,000 people elected its first legislative assembly
in 1954.
Belize, known for its laid-back Caribbean vibe, gained
full independence from Britain in 1981.
Barrow's win also makes Musa, a white-haired former
lawyer of Palestinian descent, the latest in a string
of leaders ousted in Caribbean countries over the past
year.
"This clearly is a people's victory. It's the people's
judgment on the PUP. They're giving us a huge vote of
confidence," Barrow, 56, told local radio on Friday as
the count showed him far in the lead.
Barrow ran on a platform of ridding Belize, wedged
between Mexico and Guatemala, of the embezzlement
scandals and financial mismanagement that hurt Musa's
last years in office.
"It's a great feeling. I'm extremely grateful and
humbled," Barrow said, as his supporters drove through
Belize City, hanging out of cars, honking their horns,
waving UDP flags and thumping on car roofs.
In a diverse country of indigenous Maya, Mestizos and
African-descended Creoles and Garifuna, many on the
street were rejoicing at a Creole winning power.
Belize's past leaders were born in Belize but of
European descent.
FISCAL PRUDENCE
Investors in Belize's roughly $1 billion in public
debt expected Barrow to maintain fiscal stability
after a late-2006 debt restructuring stabilized the
country's debt ratings.
"I'm fairly confident that he understands the
importance of fiscal responsibility and transparency,
and that's the key issue," said Bear Stearns analyst
Carl Ross in New York.
"The other issue is getting the economy going, which
means getting investment going in the tourism sector."
Barrow says he plans to get more Belizeans investing
in the tourism industry which, despite the country's
lush jungles and sparkling coral reefs, lags neighbors
Costa Rica and Mexico.
Tall and easy-going with a shaven head and a rapper
son, Barrow appealed to young Belizeans voting for the
first time.
Musa, 63, did not comment on the election result.
Many older Belizeans are strongly attached to Musa's
party for its role in ending British rule and because
local party officials help poor families with school
fees and free household appliances. But anger over tax
hikes and alleged graft scandals erupted in
anti-government riots in 2005. (Editing by John
O'Callaghan)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN0848407320080208?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
