Belizean legislative election, 1979

Belizean general election, 1979

← 1974

21 November 1979

1984 →

All 18 seats in the Belize House of Representatives

	First party	Second party
		UDP
Leader	George Cadle Price	Dean Lindo
Party	PUP	UDP
Leader since	1956	1974
Leader's seat	Freetown	Fort George (lost seat)
Last election	12 seats	6 seats
Seats before	13 seats	5 seats
Seats won	13 seats	5 seats
Seat change
Popular vote	23,309	21,045
Percentage	52.4%	47.4%
Swing	0.26	8.47

Premier before election

George Cadle Price
PUP

Elected Premier

George Cadle Price
PUP

General elections were held in Belize on 21 November 1979. The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party, which won 13 of the 18 seats. Voter turnout was 89.9%.

The PUP went into the election with a 13-5 majority, having picked up a seat after the previous election when Toledo District Area Rep. Vicente Choco crossed the floor from the opposition United Democratic Party in 1975. The election results confirmed that 13-5 majority.

In 1979, Belizeans were concerned about their progress toward independence and the Guatemalan claim to the colony. The UDP were not in favour of advancing on the former issue without a substantial settlement of the latter, and this led the PUP to turn the election into a sort of referendum on that question. By their turnout (a record high) and their support for the PUP, Belizeans made clear their preferences and set in motion the chain of events that would lead to independence in 1981.

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