“The UNC will not go to court to contest the re-election of Terry Rondon as chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.” So said Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi during a press conference at the San Fernando City Hall yesterday.
Al-Rawi said according to the law, Rondon was allowed an original and a casting vote.
“I am not confident that the UNC will go to court on this issue because the law is pellucidly clear. The Municipal Corporation Act and the Standing Orders of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporations is very clear as amended post 2013 that a presiding officer has an original and casting vote,” Al-Rawi said.
Noting that most corporations tend to offer the CEO because the business is usually clear, Al-Rawi added, “Terry Rondon as an elected councillor had an original vote and as the chairman, at that point, has a casting vote. So it went from 6-6 to 7-6.”
Al-Rawi said despite the “grand charge and shouting” by attorney Gerald Ramdeen, he did not think the UNC ‘had the guts to go to court.” “And if they do then c’est la vie, it is due process, that is what the courts are there for. We will meet them on the floor of the courts and we will beat them again. You have to remember that Sangre Grande was won with popular votes to the PNM and we did not pass the amendment in 2013, the UNC did.”
Both the PNM and the UNC won four districts and two aldermen each in November’s local government elections, causing a deadlock at the corporation. Last Thursday, the UNC walked out after questioning Rondon’s authority in presiding over the ceremony as chairman. This was immediately dismissed by Rondon, who cited Section 15 of the Local Government Act.