Decision next Monday on tied Regional Corporation

A SENIOR Local Government Ministry official yesterday said the date, time and place for the drawing of lots to decide the tied Rio Claro/ Mayaro Regional Corporation would be confirmed by next Monday. In an interview yesterday, Local Government Ministry PRO Deodath Ojar-Maharaj told Newsday the exercise would be supervised by the Ministry’s Ag Permanent Secretary Terrance Jurawan as well as the Ministry’s legal advisor. He said several legal technicalities had to be “looked at” before the tie could be resolved. The Rio Claro/ Mayaro Regional Corporation, long considered a UNC stronghold, was shared between the major political parties at last Monday’s Local Government Elections.

The result, a 3-3 tie, saw the ruling PNM gaining seats in the Cocal/Mafeking, Ecclesville and Mayaro/Guayaguayare districts, while the UNC held onto the Biche/Charuma, Rio Claro North and South electoral districts. In a similar situation at the 1999 Local Government Elections, the UNC and PNM candidates shared a 4-4 tie in the Siparia Regional Corporation. That Corporation was controlled by the UNC after their candidate won the drawing of lots. However at last Monday’s Local Government Elections, that Regional Corporation was returned to the PNM by a 5-3 margin