(Trinidad Guardian) Incumbent United National Congress (UNC) leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar last night claimed victory in the UNC’s internal polls, saying there was a clear trend that her Star slate was going to win when the official results come in.
Her leadership challenger Vasant Bharath conceded shortly after she spoke saying, “Members of United National Congress have voted in the National Executive election, and the Lotus Team accepts their decision.
We congratulate the Star Team of candidates, led by incumbent Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and wish them all success during their term of office.
We offer to be of assistance in the urgent and extensive exercise of rebuilding and renewing the UNC. “
Bharath however strongly slammed a number of irregularities which he claimed occurred in the election.
Persad-Bissessar spoke around 9.30 pm last night when the majority of votes coming in from polling stations around T&T showed her slate was ahead of Bharath’s Team Lotus slate.
UNC election management team chairman Ramesh Persad-Maharaj told Guardian Media the trend last night was that the Star slate was the winner.
Persad-Maharaj declared the first position for the Star slate around 7.30 pm.
Star candidate Bheemal Ramlogan won the post of Tobago regional co-ordinator with 13 votes.
Lotus team contestant for the same post, Barrington Thomas, polled two votes.
Approximately 120,000 voters were eligible to vote at the 78 polling stations located in T&T’s 41 constituencies.
No official voter turn-out figure was given last night. Up to 10 pm, Persad- Maharaj said there had been a reasonable voter turnout.
Speaking last night, Persad–Bissesar said her team would be monitoring proceedings until the wee hours of today, “But the trend is very, very clear that the Star team will win this election – a trend….but we must await the official final results from many of the stations.”
Persad- Bissessar said there had been some voter suppression due to COVID restrictions and there were some reports of voter intimidation at certain polling stations – but there hadn’t been major issues.
