Introduction
Wilfred Peter "Sedi" Elrington (born 20 November 1948) is a Belizean politician who has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize since 2008.
Elrington read law at the University of the West Indies. He is the only Belizean who has served in the executive, the legislative and the judicial arms of government, having served as a part-time judge of the Supreme Court of Belize.
He was the Attorney-General of Belize and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade from February 12, 2008 to 2010. A reshuffle of the Cabinet in 2010 left him with just Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. In 2012 he was again made the Attorney General of Belize. He remains the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
As foreign minister under Dean Barrow, Elrington is noted for his conciliatory tone regarding the Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute, a stance which has become especially controversial in Belize in light of 2015 Guatemalan presidential candidate Jimmy Morales' comments on the issue, which are decidedly pro-Belize annexation.
Electoral history
Elrington ran as the UDP candidate for the Belize City-based Pickstock constituency in 1993 and 1998, but was defeated both times by former PUP Prime Minister George Cadle Price. Price retired from the Belize House in 2003. That year Elrington ran for the Pickstock seat as an independent, but finished second to the PUP's Godfrey Smith.
Returning to the UDP, Elrington contested the Pickstock seat a fourth consecutive time in 2008 and finally prevailed, defeating Smith by a 56-42 margin. He was re-elected in 2012, narrowly defeating the PUP's Francis Donald Smith.
Family
Elrington is married to Barbara Yolanda Jean Elrington and has four children. His brother, former UDP Area Representative Hubert Elrington, also served as the attorney general for Belize.