Government and politics Last elections: March 2012 Next elections: 2017 Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General, Sir Colville Norbert Young Sr (1993–) Head of Government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow Ruling party: United Democratic Party In the general election of August 1998 the opposition People’s United Party (PUP) won 26 of the 29 seats in the House of Representatives and Said Musa became Prime Minister. The ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) took three seats and Esquivel handed over the party leadership to Dean Barrow. For the first time since independence, the ruling party was returned to power in the March 2003 general election. The PUP took 22 seats to the UDP’s seven, and Said Musa resumed as Prime Minister. In January 2005, the government increased tax rates on commodities and property and riots broke out. Civil unrest continued until April with trade unions and government opponents demanding Musa’s resignation. This and allegations of corruption in the PUP government proved decisive in the subsequent elections. The February 2008 general election resulted in a landslide victory for the opposition UDP, which won 25 seats to the ruling PUP’s six. UDP leader Barrow became the country’s first Prime Minister of African descent. The general election in March 2012 was again won by Barrow and the UDP with 17 seats, the PUP taking 14. B e l i z e Local government Ministry: Labour, Local Government and Rural Development Local government is provided for by the Belize and Belmopan City Council Acts 1999, the Village Councils Act 1999 and the Inferior Courts Act 2003, and not by the constitution. The Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development is responsible for local government. Local government is provided by two city councils, seven town councils, 181 village councils and 12 community councils. Local elections are held every three years. The local authorities are funded by central government but can derive further revenue from licence fees and fines; urban authorities can also raise revenue from property taxes. Councils are responsible for public services such as waste disposal, roads, markets, parks and cemeteries. National development plan Horizon 2030 expresses the aspiration of the people of Belize for ‘a country of peace and tranquillity, where citizens live in harmony with the natural environment and enjoy a high quality of life. Belizeans are an energetic, resourceful and independent people looking after their own development in a sustainable way.’ In preparing Horizon 2030, from the late 2000s the government undertook a wide public consultation with the participation of all national stakeholders. The four most important cross-cutting issues that emerged from this consultation process were the perspective of youth facing a crisis due to the deteriorating fabric of society; the differential impact of development programmes on women and men; the low rate of enrolment in secondary and tertiary education; and the lack of social cohesion. These issues were taken into full account in the Horizon 2030 Framework 2010–30, the development strategy designed to achieve the national vision for 2030. Governance The Framework aims to promote the participation of all citizens, accountability of political leaders and good management of public resources. Further information Government of Belize: www.belize.gov.bz Commonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.org Commonwealth Governance: www.commonwealthgovernance.org Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 141 Governance institutions Elections and Boundaries Department: www.elections.gov.bz National Assembly of Belize: www.nationalassembly.gov.bz Judiciary: www.belizejudiciary.org/web/supreme-court Ministry of the Attorney-General: www.belizelaw.org Ministry of Finance: www.mof.gov.bz Central Bank of Belize: www.centralbank.org.bz
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