Why a petition? 

Ans: If successful, the petition will trigger a National Referendum which will give Belizeans the right to decide if the offshore oil moratorium should be lifted. 

Why should I sign the petition? 

Ans: By signing the petition, you’re supporting the right to be consulted on what happens next with offshore oil exploration and development in Belize.     

What will be the question on the referendum? 

Ans: Do you support a legislative ban by way of an amendment to the Belize Constitution, Chapter 4 of the Laws of Belize, which will prohibit offshore petroleum and natural gas exploration (including but not limited to seismic testing, seismic surveys, multibeam surveys), development, drilling, extraction, production, storage and disposal within the internal waters, territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of Belize (“petroleum operations”), unless a referendum is held in accordance with the Referendum Act, Chapter 10 of the Laws of Belize which approves such Petroleum Operations? 

Where can I sign/find the petition? 

Ans: The petition is available from Oceana field representatives located across the country, at our main office in Belmopan, and online as a downloadable file here. 

How do I complete the petition? 

Ans: Fill in your name in Block (All Capital) letters, telephone number, date of birth, voters card registration number, place of residence, electoral division where you are registered to vote, and sign using the signature the appears on your Voters ID Card. You may then submit the petition to one of our field representatives, drop-off centers or online via email to belize@oceana.org.

*Please refer to the Referendum Act, Chapter 10 of the Substantive Laws of Belize for reference. 

Do I have to be a registered Belizean voter to sign? 

Ans: Yes. You must be a registered Belizean voter to be eligible to sign the petition. 

Can I use any version of my signature to sign? 

Ans: No. The signature that appears on your Voters ID Card, is the same that must appear on the petition. 

What happens if I make a mistake? 

Ans: All fields on the petition must be filled as accurately as possible. If a mistake is made such as when signing your name in “Block” letters or misspelling your address or making an error in date of birth, simply start over on a new petition that can be accessed from our field representatives or on our webpage here. 

Can I submit more than one petition? 

Ans: No. Only one petition submission is allowed per registered Belizean voter.

If I have two residences, which address should I use?

Ans: Use the address that coincides with your electoral division.

What happens next? 

Ans: Petitions will be collectively submitted to the Governor General who will then refer them to the Elections and Boundaries Department for vetting. Once the legally required number of petitions have been verified, as per the Referendum Act, the Governor General will issue the Writ of Referendum within 30 days. The day named in the Writ for the holding of a referendum shall not be less than thirty days after the issue of the Writ.