The unofficial count gave Warner 12,163 votes. The UNC candidate, Khadijah Ameen, received 5,126 votes and the PNM's Avinash Singh won 422 votes. Two other candidates in the race got 11 votes each.
In a brief off the cuff address to supporters Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told supporters not to lose faith. "We still have a majority in Parliament," she said.
She promised to continue to deliver to Chaguanas West and said there must be no ill will and malace to anyone. The Prime Minister also congratulated Warner on his victory.
In his victory speech delivered before Persad-Bissessar spoke, Warner told supporters of his party while there is cause for celebration they must never become arrogant.
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| Jack Warner and cabinet minister Winston Gypsy Peters (Express Photo) |
He said, "If there is one lesson to be learned tonight, that is that the government must listen and respond."
The former cabinet minister said he was proud of the people of Chaguanas West for fighting a "David and Goliath" battle in which "we came up against the might of an entire government and we won."
He added, "Let our victory be the cause of celebration but not the cause for arrogance. We shall be grateful and be humbled by God’s mercy."
He said he is just a messenger who will represent not just the people who voted for him but every every child, woman and man who live in the constituency of Chaguanas West.
He added, "Let our victory be the cause of celebration but not the cause for arrogance. We shall be grateful and be humbled by God’s mercy."
He said he is just a messenger who will represent not just the people who voted for him but every every child, woman and man who live in the constituency of Chaguanas West.
Khadijah Ameen thanked all her "UNC soldiers", cabinet ministers and the prime minister for their support in the campaign. She said it is clear that the UNC remains strong.
She noted that the UNC conducted a clean campaign and pledged to continue to work for the people. She said the campaign office will become a permanent office to look after the needs of the people of the constituency because there is a lot of work to be done.
1 comment:
The people of Chaguanas West have crossed the racial rubicon, hopefully to never again go back and that can only bode well for the rest of the country. The coded appeals to "Apan Ghatt" politics that Minister Moonilal descended to have obviously failed to influence the people of Chaguanas West who by voting the way they did have demonstrated that their's is the most enlightened of the 41 constituencies, the first to completely turn their backs to tribal appeal.
But what I found confusing was the Prime Minister's statement tonight that "UNC supporters should not be too disheartened because "we are still in Office, we are still in Government" or at least words to that effect.
What exactly was the relevance of the Prime Minister's statement? This was not an election that could have removed the Government or caused it to fall. She has obviously failed to understand the full impact of the election result and the powerful message that the people of Chaguans West sent her and her Government.
There is still time for the Prime Minister to take stock of what is happening around her and to take action to rid herself of the four vipers surrounding and who are only biding their time to strike at her with all their venom the first opportunity they get.
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