2008 People’s United Party (Belize) leadership election and convention facts for kids

The 2008 People’s United Party leadership election and convention was held on 30 March 2008. It was triggered when the leader of the People’s United Party (PUP), Said Musa, announced on 13 February 2008 that he would resign as leader of the PUP as soon as the next leader of the party was elected. His decision came after Musa led his party into a landslide loss in the 2008 Belizean general election over the opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP). In that election, he was one of six Area Representatives nationwide to retain their seats in the election.

Nominations were opened on Friday, 22 February 2008. Three candidates were nominated. The first endorsement ballot of MPs was on 13 March 2008. Exhaustive ballots on 20 and 25 March 2008 reduced the candidates to two. The general membership of the party elected the leader by postal ballot. The result was announced on 31 March 2008. Johnny Briceño was elected as leader with almost 20 more votes than his opponent Francis Fonseca.

People stsrted thinking about a leadership election and convention after the party’s poor showing at the 2006 Belizean municipal election. Musa called it in to fill vacancies for town councils in Corozal, Orange Walk, and San Pedro.