It is 7-7.
Both the United National Congress (UNC) and the People’s National Movement (PNM) retained control of their respective corporations in the 14 corporations.
The PNM retained the corporations of Diego Martin, Port of Spain, San Juan/Laventille, Tunapuna/Piarco, Arima, Port Fortin, and San Fernando, while the UNC kept Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Siparia, Sangre Grande, and Chaguanas.
In the most recent local government elections, the PNM gained every seat in the corporations of Diego Martin, Port of Spain, Point Fortin, and Arima. In 2023, the PNM won all but Arima, where it received six of the seven seats due to a tie. There will need to be a recount.
The UNC won all 15 Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo seats, including the new Couva Roystonia seat, as well as all ten Penal/Debe Regional Corporation seats.
However, the ruling party suffered some setbacks in Sangre Grande and San Fernando. The Sangre Grande Corporation has shifted from 5/3 in favor of the UNC to 6/2 in favor of the UNC, with the PNM losing the Valencia West seat to UNC candidate Neil Da Silva, a former Olympian.
While the PNM retains control of the San Fernando corporation, the seat distribution has shifted from 6/3 in favor of the PNM to 5/4 in favor of the PNM. Marcus Girdharrie, who switched from the UNC to the PNM, lost the Marabella South seat he gained by 130 votes in 2019. The PNM was defeated by 27 votes in the Marabella West seat. It had won this district by 87 votes in 2019. Both of these seats will be recounted.
On the other hand, the PNM gained a seat in the Princes Town corporation, where the UNC had held all 10 seats. The PNM won one of the seats.
The UNC chose San Fernando as its objective, and it paid off. The party was expecting to win the Cocoyea/Tarouba seat in order to gain control of the company, but it was defeated by 48 votes.
There has been no significant shift in power dynamics.
Overall, there was no significant shift in the political power balance in this local government election. The UNC barely lost one seat in the Arima Borough Corporation and one seat in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, which it had hoped to gain from the PNM.
The PNM won 11 seats in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation and the UNC won five; in the San Juan Laventille Corporation, the PNM got 11 seats and the UNC won three. The UNC won seven seats in Chaguanas, while the PNM kept one. The UNC won nine seats in Princes Town, while the PNM received one. The UNC won six seats in Siparia, while the PNM kept three. The UNC won six seats in Mayaro/Rio Claro, while the PNM got one.
The UNC won 72 of the 141 seats, while the PNM won 69, a tiny change from the 2019 election, when the PNM won 72 and the UNC 67.
According to preliminary indications, voter turnout remained at the customary 30% level, indicating that no campaign adequately inspired the public to turn out in greater numbers.
Rowley was pleased.
Dr Keith Rowley, Prime Minister, expressed pleasure with the outcome. “We went in with seven, and we came out with seven,” he told the media yesterday night at the party’s restored Balisier House in Port of Spain.
He conceded that the party had some close losses, but that success comes only when you “cross the line.”
“By a few votes, we lost a seat in San Fernando.” Most significantly, San Fernando stays in the hands of the PNM in order to implement local government reform. We have been elected to the Princes Town Corporation. We have no one in that corporation…so we’re overjoyed. “In Sangre Grande, we fought hard,” he remarked.
He expressed relief that the local government election was finally done, claiming that so much of the country’s national energy had been focused on the “call the election” catchphrase.
“We are now moving on to the general election.” But until that election is called and held, we have a lot of work to do as a country,” he remarked.
He stated that the government was forced to make a lot of decisions that did not sit well with the people who were personally touched by them.
The Prime Minister stated that despite taking on the mantle of government during a tough time, “midway through our second term, we have been able to hold on to seven corporations.”
“Now we move on to the general election,” he continued, “but until then, we have important decisions to make.”
He expressed optimism that the devolution of power in local government will benefit the people.
Noting that the UNC had opposed local government reform, the Prime Minister stated, “I am confident that now that the election is over and the results are known, common sense will prevail and that the leadership across the island, the Parliament, and all corporations, will work with the Government as we implement local government reform.” “The election has concluded.”
When asked about the number of votes received by the National Transformation Alliance (NTA) in Diego Martin, the Prime Minister stated that the PNM has added two more political parties to its list of political parties vanquished.
