The only bright spot for the P.U.P. was in Orange Walk Town where Kevin Bernard has been returned as Mayor for another three years. This Saturday, a victory rally is being planned to celebrate the win. The council is a split one and the results were the last to come in after two this morning. Andrea Polanco reports.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
In Orange Walk Town, Mayor Incumbent Kevin Bernard and five of his councilors were returned to sugah city’s town hall; the slate picked up two U.D.P. candidate. Winning by a little over sixty votes, Bernard was elated and acknowledges that he fought a tough fight.
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town
“I can only say that I am happy. I want to thank the people who came out and exercised their vote for whatever party. At the end of the day, we won the majority and we again transform the municipality. I want to congratulate Ms Casimiro for making it to the team and I want to thank Gian Vasquez. Thank you very much as well. But we are to continue the work and to continue the fight. I know there were a lot of issues. There was money as a factor here; that is a fact. We didn’t have the money that the U.D.P. brought in this election. At the end of the day, we have the heart and soul and the people saw the difference. We were in the counting and saw them but at the end of the day, we were victorious. And that was what made us over.”
Now that he has been elected, how will Bernard and his team handle the affairs of his town under a U.D.P. Central Government?
Kevin Bernard
“Actually, we have done it and we did it facing many debts. We have cleared ourselves of these debts and this time we could do much more. We have come up with many, many plans and good things and initiatives that we will accomplish over the next three years. So, I am very, very confident that we will be able to continue to deliver to the people and whenever the next general elections is called, we know that a P.U.P. Government will come in and we will be able to in 2018 once again be reelected to serve at the council.”
But while 2018 is down the road, winning the only seat for the P.U.P. has put an immediate spotlight on Bernard. Although it was a close run, being the P.U.P.’s only win, Bernard weighs in on his party’s performance.
Kevin Bernard
“It shows that one, for us, the people of Orange Walk have been seeing the light. I also want to say that for those other councils that were P.U.P. councils, they had other conditions worse than us and no assistance. I think too that the party has to take a stock of itself and let’s regroup and unite as a party.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Andrea Polanco.
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