1979 Belizean general election

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1979 Belizean general election
Flag of Belize (1950-1981).svg
  1974 21 November 1979 1984  

All 18 seats in the House of Representatives
Turnout89.78%
 First partySecond party
  George Cadle Price.jpg
UDP
Leader George Cadle Price Dean Lindo
Party PUP UDP
Leader since19561974
Leader's seat Freetown Fort George (lost seat)
Last election12 seats6 seats
Seats won135
Seat changeIncrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg1
Popular vote23,30921,045
Percentage52.4%47.4%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.26Increase2.svg 8.47

Belize general election 1979 - Results by Constituency.svg
Popular vote by constituency. As Belize uses the FPTP electoral system, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each constituency

Premier before election

George Cadle Price
PUP

Elected Premier

George Cadle Price
PUP

General elections were held in Belize on 21 November 1979. [1] The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party, which won 13 of the 18 seats. Voter turnout was 89.9%. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

The PUP went into the election with a 13–5 majority, having picked up a seat after the previous election when Toledo District Area Rep. Vicente Choco crossed the floor from the opposition United Democratic Party in 1975. [3] The election results confirmed that 13-5 majority.

In 1979, Belizeans were concerned about their progress toward independence and the Guatemalan claim to the colony. The UDP were not in favour of advancing on the former issue without a substantial settlement of the latter, and this led the PUP to turn the election into a sort of referendum on that question. By their turnout (a record high) and their support for the PUP, Belizeans made clear their preferences and set in motion the chain of events that would lead to independence in 1981.

Results

Although the popular vote total was close, the PUP won a supermajority of seats due to the first-past-the-post voting system.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's United Party 23,30952.4413+1
United Democratic Party 21,04547.355–1
Toledo Progressive Party 960.220New
Total44,450100.00180
Valid votes44,45098.84
Invalid/blank votes5211.16
Total votes44,971100.00
Registered voters/turnout50,09189.78
Source: Nohlen

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References

  1. 1 2 Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p104 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
  2. General Elections 1979 Archived 13 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine , Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  3. Ramos, Adele. "Bombshell: Mahmud resigns!", Amandala , 25 November 2014. (accessed 4 December 2014)