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On the request of the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, acting pursuant to Section 4 of the Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum Act, (Act No. 6 of 2019), the Governor-General of Belize issued a Writ of Referendum for the holding of a referendum on May 8, 2019, to submit to electors the question, "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?"

Cut-Off Date for Registration as Electors for Persons Wishing to Vote in the May 8, 2019 Territorial Dispute Referendum

The Elections and Boundaries Department hereby notifies the public that the cut-off date for registration as electors for persons wishing to vote in the May 8, 2019 Territorial Dispute Referendum was April 10, 2019.

The cut-off date which is a Cycle for Registration is for the purpose of the Registering Officers conducting their 'due diligence' for all applications for registration received. In the case of the applications up to April 10, 2019, a Monthly Supplementary List was published on April 15, 2019, objections on the names on the list were entertained up to April 25th, thereafter the List will be revised on or before the end of April 2019. Upon the conclusion of the revision, all the qualified applicants will then be duly registered electors.

In accordance with Section 6 of the Belize Territorial Dispute Referendum Act, 2019; Act No. 6 of 2019, states:

"The persons qualified to vote in a referendum held under this Act shall be those duly registered electors who, at the date of the holding the referendum are qualified to vote as electors for the election of members of the House of Representatives in an election conducted under the Representation of the People Act."

Therefore, persons applying for registration after April 10, 2019 will not be eligible to vote in the May 8, 2019 Territorial Dispute Referendum since the 'due diligence' would not yet have been conducted by the Registering Officers in respect to those applications.