Sheer "happiness!"That's how United National Congress (UNC) deputy leader Suruj Rambachan responded to Facebook criticism of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's celebratory mood at Rienzi Complex, Couva, following Monday's election results.His comments came after a number of Facebook users posted videos showing her reaction during her speech to supporters, including her singing, and criticised it. Some of the videos eventually went viral.
Yesterday, however, Rambachan said the PM was merely happy that the UNC had won five corporations to the People's National Movement's eight and that the UNC had not won less. He said supporters were all euphoric as well.Several ministers, including Ganga Singh, said they were not at Rienzi Complex that night and couldn't comment.
Others said they were all very happy and "elated" at the outcome, but also recognised the People's Partnership has work to do and were sure the Prime Minister recognised that also.UNC party officials claimed the PNM and other people who did not support the UNC were behind some of the condemnatory Facebook posts about the PM. They said UNC supporters were all just as happy the party had won "heartland" corporations.
A UNC executive spokesman also said: "In a situation where the ILP projected confidence of splitting the PP vote badly, what's there to be unhappy about? In the fact, even in the face of that, UNC still won only three corporations less than the PNM."We've said time and again the PNM is our political opponent and enemy, so why shouldn't the leadership be happy? Probably everybody on the UNC side was and showed it in all kinds of ways.
"The results clearly show the UNC has retained its support and that is at least one valid reason to be glad. The analysis later will dwell, ponder and plan on other issues."The source also noted, "On television recaps, we saw ILP leader Jack Warner telling his supporters on Monday night that it was not an occasion for them to be unhappy, though we all saw the ILP didn't win a single corporation and barely held on to support in Warner's own Chaguanas area.
"ILP leader Anna Deonarine was on TV with a broad smile on her face that night. So perhaps if the ILP, which did so badly, can find reasons not to be unhappy about what happened on Monday, then it's only fair that UNC members are also entitled to be happy and to sing if they want–not so?"Asked about the steep drop in UNC votes from UNC's 2010 local government results and Monday night's results, the source said a drop was expected largely due to the ILP split.
"And the circumstances of the 2010 local government elections were not the same," the source added.