Letter: Gavin was UNC, not COP; makes Imbert's seat "most marginal"

Contrary to what I keep reading in the newspapers, I received 8,077 votes and my opponent received 8,538 votes, a margin of 461 votes making Diego Martin North East the most marginal seat not held by the People's Partnership government, having overturned a previous majority in excess of 3,500 votes.

Also, I was not a COP candidate, I was a UNC candidate in the People's Partnership.

The reason I came so close was because I worked the seat very hard, Imbert is disliked nationally, he underperformed in the constituency and people wanted Kamla Persad Bissessar as opposed to Patrick Manning as Prime Minister.

Imbert, as Chief Whip and Minister of Works and Transport, used the resources of his ministry together with CEPEP and URP to fight a dirty campaign.

He issued contracts left right and centre to purchase votes and to keep the constituency littered with his posters and used the media to disseminate his propaganda about fictitious policies of the People's Partnership.

The ethnicity card was also used to put fear in the hearts of the most underprivileged and undereducated people in the community.

Having used all of those resources I was still able to make this seat the most marginal of all PNM held seats and made up more ground than most of the previously considered marginals.

It is a good time for the media to get the story right.

Garvin Nicholas