The latest North American Caribbean Teachers Association (Nacta) poll released yesterday, gave People's National Movement leader Dr Keith Rowley the edge over contender Pennelope Beckles-Robinson.The poll interviewed 490 voters–44 per cent Indians, 37 per cent Africans, 18 per cent mixed and one per cent other.
The poll questioned people of all parties "not PNMites alone" and found that 52 per cent of the respondents believed Rowley would win the May 18 internal election, while 34 per cent thought Beckles-Robinson would be successful. Fourteen per cent had "no response.""But when asked whom they prefer to win the leadership, it was a much closer contest with Rowley leading Penny by only four per cent," the poll said.
When that four per cent is matched up against the margin of error in such polls, it puts Rowley and Beckles-Robinson in a statistical tie.The poll also found that Beckles-Robinson drew much of her support from among Indo-Trinidadians "with Indo-Trinidadians overwhelmingly preferring her over Rowley."The poll was narrowed to just PNM supporters and found that Rowley earned 57 per cent, while Beckles-Robinson got 30 per cent and 13 per cent preferred not to respond.
"Afro-Trinidadians overwhelmingly prefer Rowley over Penny," the report stated.The poll also asked voters who among Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, Rowley and Beckles-Robinson they believe could "unite all of T&T." The results of that poll showed that Persad-Bissessar held the lead with 45 per cent, Rowley at 28 per cent, and Penny at 16 per cent, while 11 per cent did not offer a response.