“The PNM will accept all the corporations the electorate gives us.”
Ahead of last night’s Local Government elections results that had been the cautious position of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley early yesterday.
He spoke after he voted at the International School in Westmoorings. He made the comment, responding to queries on the projected outcome for the ruling PNM in yesterday’s polls.
Rowley and his wife, Sharon, arrived at the polling station around 8.35 am.
The PNM went into the elections with eight of the 14 corporations.
He said he would have been monitoring voting across T&T and was scheduled to be at PNM’s Balisier House headquarters last night.
Rowley acknowledged there had been a low number at the Westmoorings polling station then. He noted there was “hardly anybody in there” when he and his wife went in. However, he said people were coming consistently. He said the low turnout at that time was better than having a long line “because as you come you have the opportunity to vote and leave,” he said.
Asked about concerns Opposition leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar had voiced about the Elections and Boundaries Commission, Rowley said there was no basis for credence on that.
He said T&T had a record of free and fair elections and he had not heard anything that would cause him to raise anything about the EBC’s conduct.
“I think the EBC has been doing a particularly good job in getting ready for elections,” he said.
Slow and low was also the norm around mid-morning at other polling stations in Port-of-Spain, including Newtown Boys’ and Girls’ RC Schools and Rosary RC School. After some early morning stream, voters who showed up after 10 am, were able to cast their ballot in a matter of minutes.
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Attorney General, Stuart Young ,who voted after 10 am at Diego Martin Secondary School, where things were also slowish,said it was to be expected since Local Government turnouts were usually lower than for general elections.
Sport Minister Darryl Smith also voted in Diego Martin.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert voted early yesterday in Maraval.
At some stations, one or two people showed their stained finger as they emerged, but mostly others on foot whisked past.