PNM loses ground: 7-7 LGE tie as UNC makes inroads

THE UNC snatched the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation from the PNM, and won new seats on several corporations across Trinidad as the ruling PNM lost ground in local government elections yesterday. The UNC won Sangre Grande by five seats to three.

UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the party made significant inroads and voters “sent a clear message to the PNM.”

UNC deputy leader David Lee urged the Prime Minister to call the pending 2020 general election.

In Sangre Grande, the UNC won by wrestling away the swing seat of Sangre Grande North West by 4,134 votes to the PNM’s 3,361 votes, while defending its own marginal seat of Cumuto/Tamana (1,864 to 1,304 votes.)

The UNC and PNM overall tied to each win seven-seven corporations. The PNM won 71 seats and the UNC 68 seats.

The PNM won seven councils – Port of Spain, San Fernando, Arima, Point Fortin, Diego Martin, San Juan/Laventille and Tunapuna/Piarco.

The UNC’s seven councils are Chaguanas, Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Siparia and now Sangre Grande.

Small parties like the COP, MSJ, Movement for National Development (MND) and Port of Spain People’s Party (PPM) won no seats.

In 2016 the PNM won seven corporations to the UNC’s six, with Sangre Grande tied four-four and ultimately decided upon by the PNM’s incumbency.

The UNC won several new seats across Trinidad.

The UNC’s Prakash Barath unseated two-term PNM councillor Aaron Thomas to win the Tunapuna/Piarco corporation’s most marginal seat of Caura/Paradise/Tacarigua (2,467 votes to 1,937), won last time by the PNM by 179 votes. Tunapuna UNC chairman Hamlyn Jailal told Newsday if yesterday's votes in all 36 polling divisions for Tunapuna constituency were totalled, the UNC would unseat the PNM there in a general election.

At the San Fernando corporation where previously the PNM held all 12 seats, the UNC won three seats – Marabella South/Vistabella, Marabella East and Les Efforts West/La Romain. The PNM won the Cocoyea/Tarouba seat by just one vote ahead of the UNC (1,043 to 1,042 seats.)

Reports are the UNC also newly won the seat of Enterprise South/Longdenville North on the UNC-held Chaguanas corporation. Also the UNC snatched away the Cocal/Mafeking seat at the Mayaro/Rio Claro previously won in 2016 by the PNM by just 40 votes.

Speaking during a panel discussion on CNC 3 last night, Anita Haynes said, “You can’t name a single seat the PNM won that they did not hold before.”

Culture Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, on the same panel, said, “There is disaffection due to a lack of funding.” She saw the changes as overall reflecting less than 1,000 votes.

Some 1,079,969 electors were eligible to vote for 139 seats in 14 corporations.

Speaking to press at Balisier House after results had been declared, Rowley said there had been “no significant change” in electoral results, at a difficult period of governance.

“We’re pleased we’ve won most seats.”

He said the PNM won all seats on the corporations of Arima, Diego, Port of Spain, Point Fortin, and listed the PNM majorities on its other corporations.

Rowley said PNM had snatched from the UNC the San Juan East seat plus Barataria seat which it had lost in the 2018 by-election on the San Juan/Laventille corporation.

“In a period of difficulty we’ve done remarkably well to retain our position in this manner. “This is not time to make breakthroughs but we have pretty much held our ground.”

The PM said the PNM is keen on the 2020 general elections but there is a little way to go still. He said the Sangre Grande loss was “an element of disappointment but not a calamity.”

“All I’ll say is local government elections and general elections are not the same.”

He repeated that the local polls results were not calamitous.

“To right the country’s ship and keep us from disaster we have had to do things that are not entirely popular.

“We are not despondent but quite happy we held our ground and we won the majority of seats.”

Rowley later addressed supporters at Balisier House whom he thanked for their loyalty during tough economic times, plus candidates and their helpers.

"The PNM is victorious. We won the most seats. Nobody has beaten us," he said, rousing supporters with raised fist.