UNC retains Mayaro, P/Town after recount

The UNC won nine out of ten electoral districts in the P/Town corporation while winning four of the six electoral districts in the MRCRC,

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath observed that the UNC made significant inroads into the Moruga/ Tableland constituency currently held by the PNM’s Lovell Francis, the Minister in the Ministry of Education,

“The EBC conducted recounts at 3 pm yesterday (Tuesday). Two seats were recounted, Hindustan/ St Mary’s and Lengua/Indian Walk and both results remain the same,” Padarath said. “The Hindustan/St Mary’s recount was asked for by the PNM as this is a seat they usually win and now it has come over to the UNC. We won that seat by 273 votes. And then the other one, Lengua/Indian Walk, again another traditional PNM seat, the result remained the same where the UNC lost by 200 votes,” Padarath said,

He pointed out that the sprawling PTRC not only incorporates the PNM held Moruga/ Tableland but also segments of the Princes Town and Naparima constituencies, two traditional UNC strongholds,

“Now Moruga/Tableland is held by the PNM and the two new seats we have now won is from the Moruga/Tableland constituency,

And the one where we lost by 200 votes is also from the Moruga/ Tableland constituency...so the inroads we have made is recapturing the Moruga/ Tableland vote,” Padarath said,

Padarath said the Opposition party would use the Local Government election result as a platform to regaining the Moruga/ Tableland constituency in the general election. Mayaro MP Rushton Paray said the UNC lost the Cocal/ Mafeking electoral district following Tuesday’s recount. “The numbers remain the same so the official results remain four/two in the Mayaro Corporation,” Paray said,

Both men observed that no consultation had taken place with the elected councillors or constituents regarding the choice for corporation chairman, adding this should be done over the next few days,