UNC: PM caused PNM's loss in Debe South

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has placed blame on the Prime Minister for the poor showing of the People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate in the Debe South by-election.

She accused Dr Rowley of abandoning the district and his candidate, Judy Sookdeo who mustered a mere 25 votes.

Although the district is a stronghold of the United National Congress (UNC) and the victory was expected, the results raised eyebrows as first time entrant, the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) fared better than the PNM with 175 votes.

At a victory celebration for the UNC’s candidate, Khemraj Sunil Seecharan, on Monday night, Persad-Bissessar cast aspersions on Rowley saying instead of joining Sookdeo’s campaign on the eve of the election, “he chose to go into Laventille."

“We have a by-election here in Debe South, yet on the eve of the election, the Prime Minister calls a rally in Laventille. You know, poor fella, you know nobody from that community went to that rally? No residents went.

“What did he do? He bleated, he bawled, he cried, blubbered like he was having a meltdown.”

The PNM meeting Saturday was held virtually and broadcast from Success Laventille Secondary School.

Reading a poem she dedicated to Rowley, Persad-Bissessar advised him to sing a song, play music, read a book, take his goat for a walk, and enjoy his life instead of always being angry.

She said contrary to his belief that nobody cares for him, “I do. You need to calm down, relax and control yourself.”

She advised him against,"raging and calling people ‘dotish’, in reference to the label he attached to trade-union leaders at that meeting.

“There have been 62 murders already for 2022, that is what you should be talking about and focusing on. Instead what were you doing at 2 pm this afternoon (Monday)?

“You were busy on Facebook fighting down (OWTU president general Ancel Roget) Roget instead of doing your job," she referred to the public spat between the union leader and the PM.

“He says on his FB that Roget is a liar. Roget says you are the liar. Roget says that there is no written invitation from the Government to them about some meeting. Rowley claims he sent Stuart in person to invite Roget.

“I didn’t know Stuarty became a naw,” she said explaining a naw in the Hindu tradition is person who goes around sharing yellow rice to give people a wedding invitation.

A special statutory meeting will be held next week for Seecharan to take his oath of office at the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC), chairman Dr Allen Sammy told the Newsday.

A release from the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) confirmed Seecharan as the winner of Monday’s by-election held one year after the incumbent councilor, Purshottam Singh died.

The EBC also confirmed that of the 7,124 registered voters in the electoral district, only 26.07 per cent voted.

At the final count, Seecharan was declared winner with 1,650 votes. His competitors, PEP’s Lorenzo Rodney Sammy received 175 votes, while the PNM’s Sookdeo received 25 votes.

In his victory speech, Seecharan said there is a lot of work to be done, lamenting the lack of resources, water, poor roads, flooding.”

He said he was happy to be the voice of the people of the district and extended an olive branch to the PEP and PNM candidates to work together to build a better Debe South.