Campaign heats up

THE campaign for next Monday’s Local Government Elections is expected to heat up this week with a series of meetings, both national and regional, by both the PNM and UNC. The PNM has three national meetings scheduled for this week. The meetings are to be held on Wednesday at Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad; Sinanan Building, Sangre Grande on Thursday and Five Rivers Junction, Arouca on Friday. Prime Minister Patrick Manning is expected to be the feature speaker at all three meetings. The party also has planned several regional meetings in the various constituencies. The UNC, in its schedule, listed meetings tonight at the Arima Town Hall, tomorrow at Hilo Car park, El Dorado, on Wednesday at Rio Claro Junction, Thursday at Princes Town taxi stand and on Friday at Corinth Junction, San Fernando. All the meetings are expected to begin from 7.30 pm with Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday being the featured speaker. The UNC’s closing rally is scheduled to come off on Saturday from 1 pm at the Saith Park, Chaguanas. There are 126 seats up for grabs in the 14 municipal corporations. The PNM is contesting all the seats, while the UNC will contest 114. The UNC has joined with the National Alliance for Reconstruction to contest the elections.

Last week, representatives of both the UNC and PNM met with officials of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). Following that meeting, Chairman of the UNC Senator Wade Mark told reporters the party was concerned about election day violence. He said the party had suggested to the EBC that a meeting be arranged with the police this week to discuss the matter. Mark alleged that its candidates were being offered bribes by the PNM in an effort to sway them from facing the polls. He said the party was concerned about levels of intimidation, harassment and violence which could be unleashed on voters next Monday. He promised that if the police did not take action, officials of the UNC certainly would. He, however, did not say what form of action would be taken. The PNM has dismissed the UNC’s allegations as paranoia. Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced the date for the elections on June 3 in a statement in the Senate.