PNM must go back to the drawing board: Penny

The results of Monday's Local Government Elections (LGE) show that the People's Partnership won 99 of the 134 seats in the 14 local corporations, taking control of 11 of them and ensuring that it has representatives in all.

The PNM won only 35 seats and will be in control of Port of Spain, San Juan Laventille and Point Fortin.

It was a disappointing showing for the PNM under its new leader, Keith Rowley, who told reporters Monday night that he expected that the PNM would lose the election.

And Leader of Opposition business in the Senate Pennelope Beckles says the People’s National Movement will have to “return to the drawing board.”

Beckles, who is a former MP for Arima, told local media, “We have to go back to the drawing board and do our homework. We acknowledge the victory of the People’s Partnership. We accept our defeat. We have to do our work and take it from there.”

Beckles added, “I was always conscious, it would have not been an easy win for us. When you do it separately, you get different results. But when you have the combined votes of the UNC/COP, it’s different.

“I was conscious if they were going under one banner it would not have been easy for us...It was a much bigger challenge,” she said.