Kamla: PNM position is false and misleading

In a strongly worded statement, which came after PNM Chairman Franklin Khan cited the proportional representation rule to claim ownership of this corporation, Persad-Bissessar said Khan’s claim demonstrates the arrogance of the Dr Keith Rowley administration.

“Mr Khan made these arrogant and incredible claims based on a nonsensical legal interpretation about selection of a chairman, viz, incumbency of the PNM’s SG (Sangre Grande) Chairman, the ‘popular vote’ and ‘spirit of the law’,” she said.

“This is patently false and demonstrates wilful ignorance and arrogance on the part of the Rowley PNM.” Persad- Bissessar said the UNC clearly recorded victory in four seats in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and there was no recount for those four. She added that the EBC was still to recount votes in two seats claimed by the PNM within this corporation.

Persad-Bissessar said the law also made clear, provision for the manner in which a Chairman of a Corporation was to be elected, “and it is not for Franklin Khan or Stuart Young or any Minister to try to change the law by press conference.” “Any pre-empting of such demonstrates a shameful attempt by the PNM to mitigate its embarrassing showing in yesterday’s (Monday) Local Government polls where the UNC gained at least one and a half corporations and the PNM lost over 70,000 votes from the 2013 Local Government Elections.

The population has expressed dissatisfaction with the Rowley administration and no amount of PNM spin can change that fact,” she charged.

“The Rowley PNM is, therefore, being deliberately arrogant, ignorant and wilfully deceptive in their declaration of victory in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation demonstrating a continuation of their modus operandi since the beginning of their term in Government.” Describing the PNM’s claim as “reckless and dangerous,” Persad-Bissessar suggested that the overall intention of Government was to confuse the population as to the true outcome of Monday’s poll.

She also regarded as “deliberate” an attempt to ignore the proper democratic procedures governing the Local Government process.

“The fact is that the PNM has significantly lost votes, support and traction in its year long reign in Trinidad and Tobago due to its elitist, arrogant, incompetent and oppressive attitude and measures and its overall lack of any proper policy to serve the interests of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, a fact keenly reflected in yesterday’s election process and results.” Meanwhile, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) did not immediately respond to the PNM’s claim of an outright victory in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation despite the 4-4 deadlock with the UNC.

EBC’s communications manager Dominic Hinds would only say that the commission was still collating data from the election.

“Once the information is before the commission, all the relevant data, the commission will make a decision on that,” Hinds said, adding that he could not give a time frame for the EBC to complete its work.