Dookeran the target

GARY Griffith who won by 22 votes in the UNC internal executive elections maintained his winning position. But UNC MP Gerald Yetming who had a 78-vote lead over Vasant Bharath, became a casualty of the recount. When the process ended on Saturday night, Bharath had secured an extra 266 votes and Yetming had lost 99 votes. The result further entrenched the dominance of the Panday Patriots on the 18 member Executive, now 13 Patriots against five Progressives. An upset Yetming yesterday recalled that earlier this week he had expressed concern about the time lapse between the count which took place on Sunday October 2, and the recount which took place Saturday, five days later.

“They wanted a different result (at the end of the recount) and they got the result they wanted,” Yetming told Newsday yesterday. He added that his information was that the process (on Saturday) was severely flawed and that a lot of irregularities took place. Asked whether he believed the ballot boxes were tampered with, during the five days they spent at Rienzi Complex, Yetming replied, “They could have been.” He said he had to decide whether to stay and fight what was taking place from within. He said party members were looking for something positive. So did this mean that despite all the public posturing and protestations about peace and love returning to the UNC party, the battle for increasing control of the Executive continued? Yetming said the only battle he wanted to be involved in was to prepare the UNC for the next general elections. “Men have to demonstrate that (peace and love have returned) by their actions, in and out of the Executive. It will not happen by just words.”

Deputy Political Leader Jack Warner, elected on the Progressives’ slate, commenting on the results, stated that from where he stood, it was an attempt to get at Winston Dookeran at all costs. “At all costs they want to have Winston Dookeran as a puppet leader,” Warner said. Warner added that Yetming was seen as a threat. “The thing is so obscene...It is pathetic and shameless,” Warner said. He added, “If we cannot demonstrate integrity in party affairs, how can we demonstrate integrity in public affairs?” “Their intention is for those who stand for integrity to be on the run. But we will not run for cover,” he said. The UNC Deputy Political Leader said that certain decisions had been made yesterday afternoon and the media would hear more soon. “We will take the fight to them. Resigning from the party or from the office is not an option. We will fight from within.”

Meanwhile, UNC Political Leader Winston Dookeran yesterday said he planned to meet with Chairman of the Elections Committee Ganace Ramdial today to get a full report on the situation. He said he will make a full assessment after that discussion. “I consider it a serious matter. This is a reflection of the underdeveloped state of our politics. And we need to rise above that if we are to save the country,” he said. He stated that it was his view that the recount would have created problems in terms of building unity. “And I am still of that view”, he said.

Deputy Political Leader Wade Mark (elected on the Patriots’ slate) when questioned about the security of the ballot boxes at Rienzi Complex, said that while he had not been inside Rienzi, he was certain that there had been no tampering of the ballot boxes. Mark referred all questions to Ramdial whom he described as a man of unquestionable integrity. Historically there has only been one case where a result was overturned like this. It was a local government election in the San Fernando City Corporation. But that person had won by just one vote.