The latest poll by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (Nacta) has the opposition PNM poised to recapture the Siparia local government corporation that the Peoples Partnership won in July 2010.According to the survey, a split of the support in the PP camp between the UNC and the ILP puts the PNM ahead in the battle for control of that corporation.
An ongoing opinion poll being conducted by NactA to determine voter support in the local government elections reveals that the PNM is holding on to most of its support in Siparia while a large chunk of the PP support has shifted to the ILP giving the PNM the lead to retake the corporation from the PP.
The poll's findings elsewhere show the PNM is set to wrest seven corporations from the PP–Rio Claro, Sangre Grande, Arima, Tunapuna, Diego Martin, Sando, and Siparia –because of the splintering of PP votes in battle ground corporations. The PNM is expected to retain its strongholds of Port-of-Spain, Laventille and PointFortin.
The poll reveals that while the PNM is ahead in popular support in ten of the corporations, it is trailing the combined support of the ILP and UNC or ILP and COP in virtually all of them and in most seats.Because of the division in the voting, the PNM is likely to pick up almost three dozen seats including a few in traditional UNC strongholds like Penal, Siparia, Princes Town, Couva, and Chaguanas that are normally won by the UNC.
The findings show that the COP is trailing the ILP in all five corporations it is contesting, whereas the ILP is trailing the UNC in the heartland.The findings of the poll in Siparia are based on interviews with 180 respondents reflecting the demographics of the population.
According to the findings of the poll, PNM is ahead 32 per cent to 30 per cent with ILP at 21 per cent and 17 per cent undecided or refuse to reveal their voting choice.Nacta also polled support for parties in other corporations. The findings will be released in a subsequent report.