UNC to fight results in 5 marginals

THE UNC intends to seek recounts in five marginal constituencies and is in the process of making the request to the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

The five seats are Toco/Sangre Grande, Tunapuna, St Joseph, San Fernando West and La Horquetta/Talparo, according to senior party officials.

The ruling PNM claimed victory in Monday’s general election with 22 seats, leaving the main opposition party with 19.

This means the EBC cannot submit its official results to the Office of the President to allow the swearing-in of a new PNM administration and the incumbents will remain in office until then.

Leader of the UNC Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Monday night said the party was not conceding defeat and intended to challenge the results in three of the marginal seats. She did not identify them.

The UNC intends to publicly announce the decision to challenge the five seats at a press conference at 1.30 pm on Tuesday at the party’s south regional office, San Fernando.

According to the preliminary figures released by both parties on Monday night, the margin of victory for the PNM in Tunapuna, San Fernando West, Toco/Sangre Grande, St Joseph and La Horquetta/Talparo was in some instances less than 500-1,000 votes.

Those figures, according to political observers, were not representative of all the ballots which were being counted.

The UNC’s Nabila Greene (Toco/Sangre Grande), Ahloy Hunt (St Joseph), Sean Sobers (San Fernando West), deputy political leader Jearlean John (La Horquetta/Talparo) and David Nakhid (Tunapuna) and their agents will have to be present to observe the recounts, along with the PNM candidates Roger Monroe, Terrence Deyalsingh, Faris Al-Rawi, Foster Cummings and Esmond Forde.