Belize municipal elections, 2003 were a series of municipal elections held on March 5, 2003 to elect City and Town Councils in the Cities of Belize

Belize City

Belize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...

 and Belmopan

Belmopan

Belmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...

 and the towns of Corozal

Corozal

Corozal may mean:* Corozal American Cemetery and Memorial, Panama City, Panama* Corozal District, Belize* Corozal Town, Belize, capital of the district* Corozal, Puerto Rico* Corozal, Sucre, a city of Colombia...

, Orange Walk

Orange walk

Orange walks are a series of parades held annually by members of the Orange Order during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth...

, San Pedro

San Pedro Town

San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the...

, San Ignacio/Santa Elena, Dangriga

Dangriga

Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of Stann Creek. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District and also the largest town in southern Belize...

 and Punta Gorda

Punta Gorda, Belize

Punta Gorda, known locally as PG, is the town of the Toledo District in southern Belize. Punta Gorda is the southernmost sizable town in the nation, with a population of about 6,000 people...

.

This election was the first to be held on the same day as a general election

Belize legislative election, 2003

A legislative election was held in Belize on 5 March 2003. Belizeans elected 29 members to the House of Representatives for a term of five years.The ruling People's United Party won the largest share of seats in the election.- Background :...

, although general and municipal elections have been held in the same year.

The ruling People's United Party

People's United Party

The People's United Party is one of two major political parties in Belize, and currently the main opposition party. It is a Christian Democratic party; the current Party Leader is Francis Fonseca....

 (PUP) won 47 of a possible 67 seats, with the UDP

United Democratic Party (Belize)

The United Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in Belize, and currently the ruling party, having won the 2008 general elections. A centre-right conservative party, it is currently led by Dean Barrow.-Founding:...

winning the remaining 20.

Major party preparations

Beginning with the 1997 City Council elections, municipal elections have generally been called in March every three years. Even before then the majority of local and national elections were held in March or April.