PNM
26 UNC 15 COP 0
The Guardian
Prime Minister Patrick Manning at
his swearing-in ceremony, at Woodford Square
on Wednesday 7th.
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
11 04 07
PNM 26 UNC 15 COP o
TRINIDAD
and Tobago yesterday voted to "step
up" with Prime Minister Patrick Manning and
the People's National Movement.
In one of the most keenly contested election races
in recent years, the people bought into the party's
plan to continue its goal of taking the country
to developed status by 2020 with a second straight
term in office, giving the PNM 26 of the 41 seats.
The United National Congress Alliance meanwhile
took 15 seats, with UNC-A co-leaders Basdeo Panday
(Couva North) and Jack Warner (Chaguanas West)
securing their seats, while the new party to the
race, Congress of the People, failed to win a single
seat .
From a record 993,052 people registered to cast
their ballots, more than 550,000 turned out yesterday.
This was significantly lower than the last poll,
when the PNM won 20 seats to the UNC's 16, out
of 36 seats, in which some 70 per cent (605,938)
of the electorate turned out.
Most of the electorate voted in the PNM's favour
again yesterday, giving the 51-year-old party a
ninth win in the history of general elections,
which started in 1956.
Speaking
to hundreds of supporters firstly at his San
Fernando East constituency office, moments
after most of the results were confirmed last night,
the 61-year-old Manning first poked fun at the
opponents he had "flogged" on his way
to retaining the seat.
"The voice of the people is the voice of
the almighty God. This is God's victory and we
give him thanks and praise for it," Manning
told what he said was one of the biggest crowds
he had ever seen in his constituency.
He then thanked the thousands of party faithful
all over the country who had stood behind his party.
Later, he was showered with hugs and kisses as
he arrived at Balisier House in Port of Spain to
celebrate with supporters.
UNC-A co-leaders Basdeo Panday and Jack Warner
and COP political leader Winston Dookeran were
not as humble in defeat.
Panday suggested to his supporters that the COP
has colluded with the PNM to keep them out of office
during his speech at the Rienzi Complex in Couva.
The 74-year-old politician had hinted to his supporters,
during the party's final rally on Saturday at Aranjuez,
that this would have been his final election fight.
Last night, however, he again said the people
would have to decide on his future.
Having been touted by more than one poll as being
the man most people wanted to see as the next prime
minister, Dookeran lost his seat which went to
the UNC-A's Vasant Bharath .
With five years of hard work ahead to make his
party a bigger force next time around, Dookeran
could not help but express his frustration as he
still thanked his supporters at the party's Gaston
Court, Chaguanas headquarters. (See Page 5.)
The thousands of voters who turned out yesterday
picked, for the first time in the history of elections
in this country, 41 members of parliament, the
EBC having increased the seats from 36 in the last
poll.
And the five new seats which were created out
of that new arrangement, as well as the entry of
the COP in this race, proved critical in yesterday's
outcome.
While not managing to earn more than one seat,
COP managed to pull significant enough numbers
of UNC core voters to make a difference for the
PNM.
Several of these key seats for the PNM included
San Juan/Barataria, which was won by Joseph T Ross,
St Joseph (Kennedy Swaratsingh), San Fernando West
(Junia Regrello), Toco/Sangre Grande (Indra Sinanan
Ojah-Maharaj) and Pointe-a-Pierre (Christine Kangaloo).
Otherwise, yesterday's general election passed
off without too many hitches, save a few hiccups
here and there.
The pre-election violence, which had sparked concern
from Police Commissioner Trevor Paul going into
yesterday's voting, did not happen.
Story by Irving Ward Trinidad Express' News
Editor
Trinidad Express, Tuesday, November 6th 2007
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