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                                  EXHIBIT 31.1

                  CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, C. Baker Cunningham, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Belden
         Inc.;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any
         untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
         necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
         under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
         the period covered by this annual report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
         financial information included in this annual report, fairly present in
         all material respects the financial condition, results of operations
         and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented
         in this annual report;

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I are
         responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
         procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e))
         for the registrant and have:

                  a)       Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or
                           caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
                           designed under our supervision, to ensure that
                           material information relating to the registrant,
                           including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
                           known to us by others within those entities,
                           particularly during the period in which this annual
                           report is being prepared;

                  b)       Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
                           disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
                           this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
                           of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the
                           end of the period covered by this report based on
                           such evaluation; and

                  c)       Disclosed in this report any change in the
                           registrant's internal control over financial
                           reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f)
                           and 15d-15(f)) that occurred during the registrant's
                           fourth fiscal quarter that has materially affected,
                           or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
                           registrant's internal control over financial
                           reporting; and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I have
         disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
         financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
         committee of the registrant's board of directors:

                  a)       All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses
                           in the design or operation of internal control over
                           financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
                           adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
                           process, summarize and report financial information;
                           and

                  b)       Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                           management or other employees who have a significant
                           role in the registrant's internal control over
                           financial reporting.

March 4, 2004

                                               /s/ C. Baker Cunningham
                                               -------------------------
                                               C. Baker Cunningham
                                               Chairman of the Board,
                                               President and Chief
                                               Executive Officer