People's National Party (Belize)

The People's National Party of Belize was a political movement headquartered in Punta Gorda, Toledo District, Belize. Operating primarily in southern Belize, the party fielded candidates in the 2008 and 2012 general elections. It held its first meeting on Monday, 19 February 2007 in San Antonio Village, Toledo District.

People's National Party
LeaderWil Maheia
Founded19 February 2007 (2007-02-19)
Dissolved30 September 2015 (2015-09-30)
Merged intoBelize Progressive Party
Headquarters57 Main St., Punta Gorda, Belize
ColoursGreen, Yellow, & White
Website
www.pnpbelize.org

In September 2015 the party merged with elements of Vision Inspired by the People and other opposition political groups to form the Belize Progressive Party.[1]

Background

The party leader was Wil Maheia, who is a consultant in farming, tourism and the environment. Maheia stood in the Toledo East constituency in the 2008 and 2012 elections. The PNP ran seven candidates in 2012, but failed to crack six percent of the vote in any race.[2]

Maheia also led PNP slates in municipal elections in Punta Gorda, most recently in March 2015.[3] Maheia became the deputy leader of the BPP upon its founding.

Ideology

The PNP's platform was anti-corruption and favoured campaign finance reform as well as increased local control in Belizean government. The party strongly opposed making any territorial concessions with respect to the ongoing Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute, inclusive of accepting any potential rulings from the International Court of Justice on the matter.[4] Maheia in particular is a strident opponent of Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize.[5]

Alliances

The PNP joined a coalition of third parties contesting the 2008 general elections, known as the National Belizean Alliance (NBA). The NBA elected Maheia as leader, however the alliance became defunct after the election.

In the years prior to the merger, the PNP maintained an informal alliance with the Belmopan-based Vision Inspired by the People, with which it shared similar anti-corruption stances.[6]

References
  1. "A New, Consolidated Third Party Emerges", Great Belize Television, 1 October 2015. (accessed 2 October 2015)
  2. GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS 2012 Archived 16 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  3. " MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS OFFICIAL RESULTS 4th MARCH 2015 Archived 2015-09-13 at the Wayback Machine, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 16 March 2015)
  4. National Policy Goals: Governance, People's National Party. (accessed 15 April 2015)
  5. "Another border line clearing by Wil Maheia and his Territorial Volunteers", Great Belize Television, 15 March 2013. (accessed 19 April 2015)
  6. "Who Will Be PG's Mayor?", Tropical Vision Limited, 2 March 2015. (accessed 18 April 2015)
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