Mark: ‘Campaign of terror’ against UNC

THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) yesterday claimed “a campaign of terror” has been unleashed against the party with UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh and party attorney Garvin Nicholas being the first casualties of that campaign.

Addressing a news conference at Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday’s Port-of-Spain office, UNC chairman Wade Mark said two vehicles have been keeping Baksh’s Palmiste home under close watch and follow him wherever he goes. Mark said while all pertinent information has been given to the police no arrests have been made. Asked if there was any connection to the discovery of two mortar bombs and a quantity of cocaine in Baksh’s water tank prior to last October’s general elections, Mark replied that the UNC had no evidence to suggest such a link. The UNC chairman said he was unaware about whether Baksh hired any personal security for his home but the Senator had not hired a bodyguard.

Meanwhile, Nicholas disclosed that he was held up by two men at his Maraval home on Monday evening. He said they robbed him of his Nissan Almira motorcar, $10,000 in cash, a laptop computer and several key election documents, including ID cards for UNC candidates and polling agents. Nicholas claimed that he was targetted because he is the UNC’s Local Government Elections coordinator for the Diego Martin Regional Corporation. Mark also said the UNC received information that nine polling agents for UNC Marabella East candidate Ellis Chan, who are special electors, were transferred to the Marabella West district and Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials are baffled as to the reason why. He said the party views this as a “gross irregularity” and has written to EBC Chief Elections Officer Howard Cayenne, demanding that these individuals be allowed to vote in Marabella East.

The UNC chairman added that this incident has heightened the party’s concerns that similar activities could be happening in marginal electoral districts. “(Prime Minister Patrick) Manning wants to steal elections. He tiefing like peas,” he declared. Mark said the UNC will meet with senior police officers and the EBC at the Commission’s headquarters tomorrow at 10 am to highlight their concerns. The UNC chairman added that the police and EBC must work together to ensure Monday’s polls are free and fair.