A constitutional referendum, the nation's first, was held in Belize on 7 February 2008, coinciding with the 2008 general elections.

An elected Senate, according to its proponents, would return the decision over control of the nation's resources and development to the Belizean people.

Earlier in the year, Prime Minister Said Musa had given tacit support to the idea of an elected Senate, and eventually brought up the matter in session of the House of Representatives on December 19, 2007.

Musa introduced a bill to allow for a referendum, to be held in 2008 likely alongside the general elections, to determine Belizeans' thoughts on the issue.

The Opposition, led by Dean Barrow, argued against going to a referendum on the basis that Belizeans had not been given enough time for discussion of the issue and charged that the governing People's United Party was trying to hijack the issue to gain votes at the general elections due in the first half of 2008.

The newly elected UDP government had previously opposed the referendum and decided not to implement the reform.