Two UNC recounts on today

At 8 am today, a recount will begin on the request of Patriot candidates Vasant Bharath and Don Sylvester for the positions of vice-chairman and regional representative.

Dookeran yesterday stated that he believed that in the interest of moving ahead, the recount requested by Ken Emrith should be cancelled.

Dookeran said he spoke to Chairman Basdeo Panday about this, and he (Panday) said "he understood, and had no objection."

"We want to move ahead. This is my main concern. To get the executive in place. And personally I found that the differences were large enough to warrant it (not having a recount).

Dookeran stressed, however, it was up to the individual candidates.

Hours later, in a letter to the Chairman of the Election Management Committee, Roy Augustus stated that the Progressives had been informed that "Political Leader Winston Dookeran held discussions with Chairman Basdeo Panday on the need for parties to cease any activity, such as a recount, since this could create tension among members."

Augustus said he was instructed by his colleagues to withdraw any and all requests for a recount of the votes made in the name of the Progressives "which was a group that existed only for the purpose of contesting the UNC National Executive elections."

Progressive candidate for the post of International Affairs Officer, Ken Emrith, had requested a recount of the votes in the Fzyabad and Siparia constituencies.

Asked about this whole issue, Gerald Yetming, who won the position of vice-chairman, stated yesterday that his understanding was that the recount was to find out what the results were. "I didn’t know that that was in doubt.

All you have to do is talk to Ganace Ramdial (chairman of the Election Management Committee).

Since the recount is for two positions, it must be that "they are hoping for a different result." He added that for all he knew that different result might have already been arranged. "We’ll wait and see," he said.