‘Massive lead’ for Star Team

The Star Team slate endorsed by political leader of the United National Congress Kamla Persad-Bissessar secured a massive lead at the UNC’s National Executive (Natex) internal election last evening.

The Sunday Express spoke to several election officers at polling divisions who disclosed there was more support for the Star Team slate.

Preliminary data from the La Horquetta/Talparo constituency where UNC deputy leader Jearlean John is a coordinator showed the Stars Team was in the lead by hundreds of votes.

The Sunday Express learnt that up to last night, the highest number of votes cast were for John, with over 700 votes for her as deputy leader.

Trailing far behind was Mayaro MP Rushton Paray with just over 30 votes. Most candidates on the Star Team received votes in the hundreds, with the United Patriots receiving votes in the dozens.

Chairman of the Elections Management Committee (EMC) Darrell Allahar told the Sunday Express last night that the committee will issue a statement on the preliminary results once they receive all the statements of poll from the polling stations.

He said vote counting was expected to take place throughout the night.

A total of 17 Natex positions were contested, with the exception of the post of political leader which is due next year.

He said counting of ballot papers was under way at 75 polling stations, and after that the ballot boxes would be locked and delivered to the UNC’s Chaguanas headquarters.

Allahar said he has to receive 75 statements of poll along with the ballot boxes.

The system is the same as used by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), he said.

“Nothing has come in as yet because people are still counting,” he said. Voting took place yesterday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Allahar said there were complaints about irregularities from both the Star Team and United Patriots.

The committee, he said, spent the day trying to resolve issues that had arisen.

Asked how he would respond to criticisms that the elections were not fair and the committee may have been compromised, Allahar said the integrity of the committee speaks for itself

“I am a puppet of no one, ma’am. My committee, Ms Marilyn Martin and Dr Allen Sammy, are three independent professionals and we have never been told what to do by anybody. We’ve tried to conduct this election as fairly as possible and we’ve been open to everyone, all the participants, to iron out any concerns they have,” he said.

He said it was unfortunate that people did not know the calibre of people on the committee, and it was serious to launch attacks on their integrity.

“We don’t let that get in the way of what we have to do,” he said.

Paray: Several irregularities

Paray told the Sunday Express last night that there were a number of serious concerns on the elections.

He said: “My day in Mayaro was spent dealing with several irregularities. I came to vote at 9.30 a.m. and was not able to get the time to cast my vote until 5.30 p.m.

“I intend to address the numerous serious concerns documented by many UNC members during these elections as soon as the counting ends.”

Attorney Larry Lalla, who contested the post of deputy political leader for the Patriots team, told the Sunday Express the “members have spoken”.

Asked what was his next step and whether he will throw his support behind Persad-Bissessar and the Star Team Natex, he said he will “find other ways to contribute to national life because of my love for my country”.

Persad-Bissessar, in an interview after casting her vote at the Debe High School earlier yesterday, said her main focus after the UNC internal election and tomorrow’s two by-elections is victory at the general election polls and getting rid of the Dr Keith Rowley-led PNM Government.

Persad-Bissessar also signalled that the UNC will be taking action with respect to the PNM purportedly giving over $1 million in housing grants in the electoral district of Indian Walk/Lengua.

“And we will pursue that whatever happens on Monday,”she said.

She said the PNM had Christmas and earlier this year to give grants, but they came on the election eve.

She said precedent for challenging such legal matters has already been set in the British court system.

Last month, the UNC announced that the internal election would be held yesterday. Notification of the party’s election came from UNC general secretary Peter Kanhai and was posted on the UNC’s social media pages.

The announcement came on the heels of a notice from the Office of the Prime Minister that by-elections for two electoral districts—Lengua/Indian Walk and Quinam/Morne Diablo—will be held tomorrow.

The UNC internal election is in keeping with the party’s constitution, as the term of this current Natex is due to expire on June 26.

This means Persad-Bissessar will remain as UNC leader with a newly elected Natex team.

Persad-Bissessar has been UNC leader for the past 14 years after defeating former party leader Basdeo Panday at the leadership election in January 2010.

Since then, she has defeated challengers for leadership at the internal polls, including Dr Roodal Moonilal and Vasant Bharath.

Calls for the party’s Natex election were first made by Paray in March this year during an exclusive interview with the Express.

He later held a news conference where he called for the poll and gained the support of four colleagues: Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally, Naparima MP Rodney Charles, Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir and Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes, who criticised Persad-Bissessar’s leadership and that of the current Natex.

The UNC internal election was last held on June 26, 2022.

Back then, Persad-Bissessar’s slate of candidates, dubbed the Star Team, won by a landslide with over 13,000 UNC members voting.

The UNC elections committee will issue a press release with the preliminary data by today after receiving all the statements of poll.

Star Team

slate of candidates:

1. Deputy political leader – Senator Jearlean John

2. Deputy political leader – MP Dr Roodal Moonilal

3. Deputy political leader – MP David Lee

4. Chairman – MP Davendranath Tancoo

5. Deputy chair – Hamlin Jailal

6. Treasurer – Alderman Viliana Ramoutarsingh

7. Policy & strategy officer – MP Saddam Hosein

8. Elections officer – MP Arnold Ram

9. Education officer – MP Ravi Ratiram

10. Research officer – Former senator Sean Sobers

11. Party organiser – MP Barry Padarath

12. International relations officer – Nicolas Morris

13. North West regional representative – Eli Zakour

14. Central regional representative – MP Vandana Mohit

15. North East regional representative – MP Khadijah Ameen

16. South Regional representative – Councillor Shanty Boodram

17. Tobago regional representative – Councilor Kenwyn Phillip

United Patriots

slate of candidates:

1. Deputy political leader – MP Rushton Paray

2. Deputy political leader – MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne

3. Deputy political leader – MP Dr Rai Ragbir

4. Chairman – Larry Lalla, SC

5. Deputy chair – Germaine Abdulla

6. Treasurer – Curtis Manchoon

7. Policy & strategy officer – Kiel Taklalsingh

8. Elections officer – William Archie

9. Education officer – Shanta Devi Seepersad

10. Research officer – Jason Ali

11. Party organiser – Henry Awong

12. International relations officer – Deochand Ramjit Singh

13. North West regional representative – Ricky Shanklin

14. Central regional representative – Dr Roshan Ali

15. North East regional representative – Jairzinho Rigsby

16. South regional representative – Imran Wayne Mohammed

17. Tobago regional representative – Chinelle Roberts

Lone independent

candidate

Deputy political leader – Robert Amar

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