Election expenses way over limit

THE EDITOR: In the recent by-election in Siparia, the NAR candidate protested that the PNM supporters ripped down his posters. The reply of PNM’s deputy political leader Joan Yuille-Williams to this complaint was most interesting. According to one newspaper, Mrs Yuille-Williams’ reply was “Why would we rip down NAR posters? Look at them. Did you see ours?” I would like to tell Mrs Yuille-Williams — yes! We saw your posters. They were huge and contained many colours and were splattered all over the electoral district by the hundreds. It must have cost tens of thousands of dollars for these posters. In comparison, the NAR posters were puny and pathetic in comparison.

Mrs Yuille-Williams must be aware that section 48 of the Representation of the People Act provides a limit on the amount that can be lawfully spent on a local government election. The PNM has been violating this law with impunity. When this is added to the numerous road paving work on the weekend before the elections and on the election day itself, one sees the great unfairness and injustice the PNM has inflicted on our society. I would like to inform Mrs Yuille-Williams that the PNM’s behaviour is the basis on which a criminal society is built and this is why the NAR maintains that as long as the PNM is in power, the crime situation in our country will get worse.

KRISHENDATH
GOOCHARAN
Executive Member
National Alliance for Reconstruction