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Belize re-elects prime ministerNepotism scandal fails to move voters
BELIZE CITY, Belize (Reuters) -- Belize, a tiny Caribbean nation known for its long barrier reef, voted for Prime Minister Said Musa in the first reelection of an incumbent since the former British colony gained independence in 1981. Voters shrugged off an education scandal to give Musa's People's United Party 21 of the 29 seats in the National Assembly, election results showed on Thursday. Musa defeated fellow lawyer Dean Barrow of the United Democratic Party, who would have become Belize's first black leader. Since 1981, the two political groups, with few differences in ideologies, had been alternating in power in Belize, which is sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala and has a population of 270,000. "The people are very pleased with the performance of the government and that's why they have voted us back in power," Musa told Reuters, pointing to Belize's 6.7 percent average economic growth over the last years and a reduction in unemployment levels to 9 percent from 14 percent. But the margin of victory for the People's United Party at Wednesday's election was down from a 1998 landslide, when it took 26 seats. Musa supporters took to the streets to celebrate, weaving the party's blue and white flags, honking car horns and hugging each other in a carnival atmosphere. "This is a wonderful day," said Kimberly Pate, a tourist guide in the Central American nation. "Our prime minister has shown you can govern Belize and take this poor country forward, winning another five years in office." Musa prevailed despite recent allegations that the government was rampant with nepotism and only gave out education scholarships to People's United Party members and their families. Kaleidoscope nationThe prime minister was reelected after heavily funding social sectors, setting up an insurance program that gave equal health care for the poor, and building houses and schools across Belize. Belize, Central America's only English-speaking nation, has a kaleidoscope of ethnic groups that include Afro-Caribbean, Asians, Mayan Indians and mixed-blood Mestizos. Also among the population are Mennonites, whose mother tongue is German. Tourism is a major driver of the economy, with visitors increasing by the thousands each year to dive and snorkel around the Belize Barrier Reef, a 180-mile (288-km) ocean gem that is one of the longest in the world after Australia's. The country's Rastafarians, who wear dreadlocks and often colored woolen hats, can be seen smoking marijuana openly in certain areas of Belize City. Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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