Belizeans are voting in a referendum on Wednesday on whether or not to take its decades old border dispute with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with both the government and the opposition urging supporters to vote for different reasons.
The official statement announcing the referendum, said that the question to the electors will be “Do you agree that any legal claim of Guatemala against Belize relating to land and insular territories and to any maritime areas pertaining to these territories should be submitted to the International Court of Justice for final settlement and that it determine finally the boundaries of the respective territories and areas of the Parties?”
The Elections and Boundaries Department said that electors wishing to cast their ballots in respect of the Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum can do so with or without their voter’s identification card.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Opposition Leader John Briceno have been urging voters to support their causes with the government urging a “yes” vote and the opposition, a “no” vote.
In a last minute appeal to voters, Prime Minister Barrow sad that the ICJ referendum is a national issue which should never divide Belizeans along party lines.
