Luck of draw decides Mayaro/Rio Claro fate

DRAWING of lots today will determine whether the People’s National Movement or the United National Congress gains control of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation, where both parties obtained the same number of seats (three) following voting in the Local Government Elections, two Mondays ago. The procedure gets underway at 10.30 am, first with the  nomination of two aldermen each by both parties. The names will be written on paper, folded and sealed, then placed in a jar. Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Corporation, Motilal Ramsingh, will take charge of the proceedings in which he will dip into the jar and draw a lot.  The UNC had control of the corporation with four seats on the council as against the PNM’s two. The PNM won the Ecclesville district to equal the number of seats on the council (3-3).

The last such tie at a Local Government Elections occurred in the Siparia Regional Corporation in 1999. The drawing of lots resulted in the UNC winning control of  that Corporation. There will be the names of four aldermen — two PNM and two UNC — in the jar. If the first name which the Acting CEO pulls is that of a PNM-nominated alderman and it turns out that his second pull is also a PNM, the party will win control. The same applies to the UNC. If, however, the first pull shows up a PNM alderman and the second, a UNC, the result is considered a tie and the procedure is conducted a second time. If upon a second drawing, a tie occurs, a pro tempore (temporary) chairman is appointed. The appointed chairman will then have a casting vote. Should the PNM strike it lucky in the draw, that ruling party will control the Rio Claro/Mayaro Regional Corporation, bringing to ten the number of corporations under its control. Today’s drawing will be supervised by Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Ministry Terrence Jurawan and the Ministry’s legal adviser Carlton George.