Corporations will sort out business

They were unable to say exactly when the results would be released.

However, Newsday understands the commission will meet soon to assess the status of the exercise.

The EBC declined to comment on the argument between the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) about which of them controls the Sangre Grande corporation. Officials explained, “The EBC’s job is completed when we allocate the numbers for the aldermen, what happens after is up to the corporation.” They said all political parties submitted their lists of aldermen for all local government corporations to the EBC on November 7 (Nomination Day).

The officials explained that once the final election results are released, there is a four-day period in which the commission makes an allocation of aldermen to each corporation.

The corporations have four days within which to submit their respective lists of aldermen to the EBC. There are a total of 24 aldermen candidates for the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

Within this number, the PNM and UNC have eight candidates each.

The EBC officials said the appointment of a mayor/chairman and deputy mayor/deputy chairman of a local government corporation is guided by the provisions of Section 14 of the amended Municipal Corporations Act. Section 14 (3) of this Act states that the election of the mayor and deputy mayor will be by motion duly seconded and presided over by a councillor or an alderman who is not a candidate for the office of mayor or deputy mayor.

Contacted yesterday, PNM general secretary Ashton Ford said the recount for the Barataria district in the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation ended with the district remaining with the PNM.

UNC chairman David Lee said the party was keenly watching the recounts of the Sangre Grande North-West district and a district in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation. Lee was uncertain when these recounts would be completed but reiterated that the Sangre Grande recount was particularly important given the outcome on election day.

PNM chairman Franklin Khan cited the proportional representation rule brought by the former People’s Partnership (PP) government to claim an “outright victory” in Sangre Grande and declare that the PNM would control this corporation again. However, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar rejected Khan’s declaration as “false and misleading.” She said the law was clear on how a chairman of a corporation was to be elected.