Faris: PNM to challenge Padarath candidacy

ATTORNEY General and PNM San Fernando West candidate Faris Al-Rawi said he had counted an extra seat for the PNM after it "reclaims" victory at the polls on Monday night.

This would be the Princes Town seat, he said.

Speaking to reporters after voting at the San Fernando West Secondary School, Al-Rawi said an election petition will be filed for the Princes Town seat, as he said it was lost to the UNC.

This seat, he said "will definitely come to the PNM."

The PNM election petition will challenge UNC candidate Barry Paradath’s nomination on the basis that he used the wrong form on nomination day.

Al-Rawi reiterated that he was absolutely confident about the PNM gaining the seat.

“Having been an attorney-at-law involved in several election petitions and having fought my own election petition (for which, oddly enough the costs are still outstanding – the UNC has $7 million in legal costs to pay) – the PNM and the primary target was Faris Al- Rawi,...I am very well familiar with what I need to do in terms of managing the election petition.”

He also said there were a few irregularities before the election. Some, he said, involved polling cards being used for people in places where they did not live.

He said these irregularities had beencarefully noted.

Al-Rawi said owing to the covid19 restrictions there would be no mass gatherings when the PNM won.

“We are taking the covid situation very seriously.”

He said the Constitution provides only a few measures for not holding general elections, and wartime is one of them.

“We are not at war, so this pandemic is something that we had to manage. It is very important that we keep the sobriety of TT in check and remember there is still a country to run.”