Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize. - File

BELIZE CITY, Belize (CMC):

The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) scored a decisive victory in the general election in this Central American Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country on Thursday.

Official preliminary results from electoral officials had the Dean Barrow-led UDP winning 25 of the 31 parliamentary seats with the remaining six going to the incumbent People's United Party (PUP) led by Prime Minister Said Musa.

Describing his victory as a "tremendous Belizean awakening", Barrow said, "It doesn't come as a big surprise."

"To the people of this country who are giving us what appears to be a massive mandate, I must make the point that I am very conscious that while the UDP clearly has a share in this victory, it's nothing more than a share."

The 56-year-old lawyer was leading the UDP into general election for the third time. The party was defeated in the 1998 election and again in the 2003 poll.

A people victory

"It is clear to me, and I think it ought to be clear to everyone, that the United Democratic Party owes a great debt of gratitude to a large number of people, to a large number of sectors of our society and it certainly allows me to think that we can claim legitimately that this one really is a people victory," Barrow said.

When reached on the telephone, Prime Minister Said Musa said he was not yet ready to speak to the press. He managed to stave off a huge challenge for his Fort George, Belize City seat, from UDP candidate George Gough, a newcomer to politics.

Musa, a 63-year-old lawyer, first came to power in 1998 and again won the general election in 2003.

Allegations of corruption

He was seeking a third straight term as prime minister, something that had never been done in this Caribbean nation in Central America.

Ahead of the elections, political analysts said Musa and his party faced a huge hurdle amid allegations of corruption within his Cabinet, an internal party rift, and calls for his resignation.

Musa's defeat meant he was the sixth leader of a Caribbean country to be sent packing by the electorate in recent months. The same was done in Barbados, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and St Lucia.