Victory for the people

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has officially dispelled all rumours of a low voter turnout of 17 percent and revealed that the actual turnout was 34 percent.

This turnout is normal for a local government election and the PNM has been declared a clear winner based on the EBC results.

The population has been burdened on nine consecutive occasions with the UNC’s self-declaration of wins. These declarations have been painfully described as victories for the people. I now have to agree with Kamla Persad-Bissessar; those wins are victories for the “people”, ie, the People’s National Movement.

The PNM losing eight percent of its 2013 votes is overshadowed by the UNC’s 30 percent loss. The UNC has however gained some ground in the constituency of St Joseph by winning three of the four local government districts there. This is an absolute turn-around as the PNM similarly won three of the four seats in 2013.

In the St Joseph constituency, Aranguez has always remained with the UNC while Petit Bourg/ Mt Lambert/Champs Fleurs has not left the PNM. San Juan East and St Joseph/Valsayn were recaptured by the UNC. These are the two local government marginals within St Joseph which usually act as political indicators as to which party has the greater local and constituency support.

The PNM has won 83 seats and seven and a half corporations as opposed to the UNC’s 54 seats and six and a half corporations. This is once again a victory for the people, the People’s National Movement.

The results show that citizens still have confidence in the Dr Keith Rowley-led PNM administration.

This PNM victory is significant because although the country has experienced economic challenges in the PNM’s first year, it seems citizens have not lost the “let’s do this” mantra.

I hope that some day soon the UNC will be able to declare a victory for the UNC instead of victories for the People’s National Movement.

RONALD HUGGINS St Joseph