UNC Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial on Wednesday said the final results for San Fernando City Corporation reflected a political change nationally in Monday's local government election, commenting to Newsday on the results of a recount in the corporation by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).
The recount confirmed the wins of both the PNM's Teresa Lynch in Cocoyea/Tarouba and the UNC's Sasha Ali in Marabella South/Vistabella, with results for the PNM's appeal against the UNC's John Michael "Makamillion" Ali Bocas victory in Marabella West still outstanding.
Lutchmedial said, "We're very happy of course that Sasha was confirmed."
She said many people had thought Marcus Girdharrie, former councillor in Marabella South/Vistabella who defected to the PNM, would win for the PNM but he had not. "The recount didn't show any kind of irregularity and so on. Of course it is everybody's right to request a recount, especially when the margins are small.
"They did that and we did the same in Cocoyea/Tarouba. I'm not sure what's happened there. If you hear they are confirmed, then it is what it is."
Lutchmedial said, "Overall in San Fernando what I think the trend is showing is that we have made significant strides.
"We narrowed our margins in Les Efforts East and Springvale/Paradise.
"We took away the Marabella West seat (won by Ali Bocas) from the PNM which is significant as regards who is the candidate.
"We are just waiting to see that result completed this afternoon and then I'll give a full comment on that one."
Newsday asked what the results meant.
She said, "I think that the underlying message if you look at the overall voter pattern around the country is that the ground is shaking."
Lutchmedial said the UNC/NTA election accommodation had worked well.
"We have picked up votes in traditional PNM areas.
"The UNC is taking seats in Arima. We are taking seats in San Fernando that were PNM strongholds. We are taking seats in different areas. It was hotly contested."
She agreed with UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's views that the accommodation had given the PNM a good run for their money.
Lutchmedial said local elections usually have small turnouts, as she also wondered about the effect of the timing of the mid-August election date.
"In the area in which I worked, Les Efforts West/La Romain people who I know are traditional UNC supporters were out of the country.
"So we might have lower levels of voting than before.
"But I think the general message was that change is in the air, a wave is coming, and people are perhaps ready to step forward and make a change and look for better governance." She said the PNM had no track-record on which to campaign but had to revert to campaigning on a future promise of local government reform.
"Even in that we exposed them. A law has been passed for over a year and they have done absolutely nothing. This promise for reform is just more empty promises from the PNM." Lutchmedial said the UNC's message about securing TT had resounded well with voter
