Local Government Elections recounts completed by the Election and Boundaries Commission yesterday in nine electoral areas, saw the PNM maintaining its wins in eight areas and UNC keeping the Marabella South/Vistabella district.
There’s also been a PNM-UNC tie in Lengua/Indian Walk, where recount will continue today.
The UNC’s Bagatelle/Blue Basin candidate has also called off recount in that area—and recounts continue today for the last four electoral districts.
This was confirmed from the results of recounts issued by the EBC yesterday.
Following Monday’s LG election, where the PNM and UNC tied 7-7 for control of the 14 regional corporations, the UNC requested recounts in 12 electoral areas and the PNM in two areas.
On Tuesday, EBC Chief Election Officer, Fern Narcis-Scope, received requests for the recounts, which began that afternoon.
Yesterday morning, the EBC said three of the 14 recounts were completed—in Cocoyea/Tarouba, Marabella South/Vistabella and Mayaro North.
The UNC had requested recounts in Cocoyea/Tarouba and Mayaro North, which the PNM won. The PNM requested recounts in Marabella South/Vistabella, which the UNC won.
According to EBC’s results yesterday, in Cocoyea/Tarouba, PNM’s Teresa Lynch, who received 1,207 votes remained victorious. UNC candidate Shane Samlal received one more vote but his total was 1,162.
In the election, Cocoyea/Tarouba was viewed as a key marginal seat. Lynch’s father, Leslie, was councillor before her and the seat was won before by PNM on narrow margins. In the 2019 LG election, Lynch won by 30 votes against the UNC, which had heavily targeted the area on Monday. But Lynch expanded the gap and won it by 15 votes more.
The PNM also retained its win in Mayaro North with candidate Ryan Stewart getting one less vote with 741. But UNC candidate Kristen Townsand got two less votes with 720. The PEP’s Princess Marine got 43 votes.
In Marabella South/Vistabella, the UNC’s Sasha Ali received one less vote but remained winner with 884 votes to PNM candidate Marcus Girdharie’s 873 votes.
Yesterday afternoon, results were issued for recounts requested by the UNC in Arima West/O’Meara, Auzonville/Tunapuna, Blanchisseuse/Santa Rosa, Five Rivers, Sangre Grande Northeast and San Juan East.
They are as follows:
Arima West/O’meara
PNM’s Dave Maharaj lost two votes - 646
PEP’s Neil St Louis - 78
UNC’s Ryan Diaz lost one vote - 603
Auzonville/Tunapuna
PNM’s John Briggs - 1,708
UNC’s Meguel Latchman received one more vote - 1,542
Blanchisseuse/Santa Rosa
PNM’s Sheldon Moore - 1,477
UNC’s Cherisse Smith - 1,391
Kathleen Washington (Independent Candidate) - 55
Five Rivers
PNM’s Desiree De Freitas received four more votes - 2,116
UNC’s Jamie Hosein lost three votes - 2,060
Sangre Grande Northeast
PNM’s David Guy lost four votes - 1,420
PDP’s Dorion Robinson - 52
UNC’s Darren Timothy lost seven votes - 1,405
San Juan East
PNM’s Raphael John received one more vote - 1,361
PEP’s Diana Williams - 129
UNC’s Garth Mills - 1,300
Eyes on Lengua/Indian Walk, Arima Northeast
The EBC also said that in the electoral district of Lengua/Indian Walk, a count of the ballot boxes revealed a tie, with both the PNM and UNC candidates securing 1,428 votes each—a loss of two votes for the PNM’s candidate and a gain of three (3) votes for the UNC’s candidate.
The EBC added, “The vote count for the PEP’s candidate remained the same at 87 votes. The recount of the poll card boxes in this electoral district is still ongoing.”
The UNC’s Bagatelle/Blue Basin candidate, Nalini Goindoo, also called off her request into a recount of the votes cast in that electoral district, where the PNM’s candidate, Alina Zennie Renn, won by a margin of 220 votes.
Apart from the Lengua/Indian Walk recount, results are also expected today for Arima Northeast—where PNM and UNC tied—as well as for Maracas/Santa Margarita and Marabella West.
The PNM requested a recount for Marabella West, where initial results showed UNC’s John Alibocus defeating PNM’s Jameela Marryshaw.
PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi and PNM chairman Stuart Young didn’t reply to texted queries on the situation.
But other PNM officials said prior to recount, the number of seats won by PNM and UNC were tied 70-70 and attention was on Arima Northeast, where both parties’ candidates had tied and they were waiting to see what the recount there would result in.
However, UNC deputy leader Jearlean John, who said the party obtained more seats than it did in 2019 LG election, said the UNC had truly won Monday’s election.
“It was simply we fielded an amazing cohort of the most hardworking selfless candidates, plus our message resonated strongly with every sector of society—resulting in UNC making great stride and significant inroads into areas once viewed as hardcore PNM. We made inroads in PNM areas from south to north which now bring those areas into play,” John added
“People are totally fed-up of this cruel non-productive Government and are ready for a general election to boot the PNM out.”