Despite losing in Monday's Local Government poll, the smaller political parties intend to continue on their own–and they don't see the outcome as favouring either the PNM or UNC.
The views came from the leaders of the Congress of the People (COP), National Solidarity Assembly (NSA) and others regarding Monday's election result where the PNM won seven corporations, dropping one from its 2013 gain of eight, while the UNC held its six, getting back several seats and they tied in Sangre Grande.
COP lost all seats the party contested, receiving an estimated 360 votes. The Elections and Boundaries Commission yesterday stated it could not give final figures as yet.
COP leader Dr Anirudh Mahabir said, "The glaring fact is, so few people came out to vote, it seems so many didn't want to. It probably means the two major parties and COP also failed to bring the people out, even though PNM and UNC spent millions.
"But the UNC has gotten a boost from its results. It surprised us they did so well and that we did so badly. We campaigned in their heartland so we were casualties of their consolidated vote. It 's an indictment on the PNM; they spent so many millions and were unable to get people to come out."
Mahabir said COP is yet to decide what will happen with its future, "but we'll remain on our own. We've stamped our presence in certain areas. If we hadn't participated, we'd have been left out of the politics forever.
"I don't think we need to unite. If we were going to be partners with UNC again we might as well fold up and become UNC. We cannot be a secondary partner and be subsumed by UNC 's might–we'll forever be begging for seats."
However, Mahabir agreed the COP was already subsumed by UNC votes in Monday's poll.
"We have to rethink our position but so many didn't come out to vote, rejecting UNC and PNM. So there's still space for COP.
"Many still feel they want something other than the two parties. COP may or may not be that or maybe a new party or something different may work. We intend to participate in whatever comes up."
Former COP leader Prakash Ramadhar, in London, said he had not seen the results.