UNC: We won by 30,000 votes

THE UNC alluded to voter apathy in PNM areas, but the PNM said they had retained these areas with the UNC making virtually no inroads, assessing Monday's local elections.

UNC general secretary Dave Tancoo on Tuesday told Newsday the party won the popular vote in the local elections across Trinidad by a margin of about 30,000 votes.

He did not have final figures, as recounts in six seats were under way.

Asked about pollster Nigel Henry’s estimate of a 30 per cent turnout nationwide, Tancoo said, “That sounds about right.”

However, he pointed to a sharp difference in turnout between corporations, estimating they ranged from a modest 25 per cent in Port of Spain to 40 per cent in Chaguanas.

He remarked, “Seventy per cent of the population did not vote, which is not a good sign, although it is usual for a local election.”

Tancoo said even though the parties had largely campaigned as if it were a general election, many people had bypassed it all.

“A local government election is really different to a general election.”

The 2016 local polls saw a 34 per cent turnout.

UNC deputy leader David Lee told Newsday he felt this election had indeed seen a drop in the turnout, but within that there were big differences in the turnout between PNM and UNC areas.

Lee said while the UNC’s Claxton Bay seat had a 47 per cent turnout and the UNC’s Sangre Grande North West seats saw 44 per cent,the percentage had fallen in PNM areas.

“In Arima there was a serious drop in turnout. Point Fortin was low.

"But Princes Town had a high turnout and the UNC won all ten seats there.”

While the PNM held the Port of Spain corporation, Lee said the turnout was “very, very low.”

He said, “It was a no-vote campaign by PNM supporters against their own party.” He estimated turnout in the PNM-held Diego Martin corporation as about 20 per cent. Lee said in one Arima seat the PNM had won with only about 900 votes, just ahead of the UNC candidate on 600 or 700.

“PNM people did not vote for their party.”

Lee expected the UNC would next week name mayors, regional chairman and aldermen for its corporations.

PNM campaign manager Rohan Sinanan did not offer any data on turnouts but queried the UNC's claim of a 45 per cent in any area. On claims of a low turnout of 20-25 per cent in PNM areas such as Port of Spain and Diego Martin, he remarked, "Whatever it is, the PNM made a clean sweep in Diego Martin."

Sinanan said,"What is clear is the UNC was unable to penetrate any PNM areas. They made no impact in the east west corridor. They got nothing in the corridor that was not a traditional UNC electoral district. More so, they lost some seats they had in the San Juan/Barataria area."

He added that the UNC got no seats on councils such as Arima, Port of Spain and Diego Martin.

"They were blown away in the San Juan/Laventille corporation and got one additional seat in Tunapuna which was a traditional UNC seat they were able to reclaim.

"All they were able to do was reclaim traditional UNC seats they had lost to the PNM in 2016. They cannot claim to have made any inroads into the east west corridor or into PNM areas."

Otherwise, Newsday understands the Elections and Boundaries Commission will not release official figures on voter turnout until after after six recounts on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, late Tuesday a CNC3 news report said the UNC had called off the recount for Marabella West, one of six under way, which if true effectively quashes any chance of the San Fernando corporation changing hands from PNM to UNC.