In the face of mounting charges of rigging in the United National Congress (UNC) internal elections, the party’s chief elections officer, Dr Rampersad Parasram, is maintaining he is “fairly satisfied” with the process and dismissing claims of irregularities.
At a media conference at the Rienzi Complex in Couva yesterday, Parasram dismissed charges that blank ballot papers were discovered on the banks of the Katwaroo Dam in Penal, that voters were prevented from casting their ballots and voters could have washed off the electoral ink soon after casting their ballots.
Dr Roodal Moonilal and Vasant Bharath, who contested the post of UNC leader, made the allegations of voting irregularities after incumbent, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her slate, made a clean sweep of the elections on Saturday.
Persad-Bissessar and her slate won all 16 positions on the UNC’s national executive by thousands of votes.
Parasram said all those wanting a recount have until midnight tomorrow to make their requests.
He said the results were only preliminary and the final list would be ready by Saturday.
Answering questions from the media on the claims, he said he had not received any official complaint about ballot papers found on the banks of the Katwaroo River.
“When we do, it will be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
He said a tally sheet has to be returned to the election operations centre and only then he would be able to tell the whole story.
As to why the last ballot box was returned as late at 6 am on Sunday, he said: “There were people vying for 16 positions. The staff had to count all the ballots against each name.
“Other than that, there is no other reason I can proffer as to why the last ballot box came in at 6 am the next morning.”
Parasram said an analysis had to be done and upon its completion he would be in a better position to understand the delay, which he described as “not significant.”
As for the ink, he said a few of the candidates called in with complaints but no formal report was lodged.
“This is the very ink the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) used, the same brand,” he said.
Parasram, addressing another concern, said the UNC’s election’s committee did receive reports that people were turned away when they went to vote.
He said those voters did not adhere to rules, which included people walking with photo IDs and have their names on the membership list.
Preliminary results
n Political leader
Kamla Persad-Bissessar 17,502
Dr Roodal Moonilal 1,821
Vasant Bharath 1,305
n Deputy political leader
Khadijah Ameen 15,654
Wayne Munro 12,509
Rai Ragbir 12,703
Larry Lalla 1,938
James Lambert 1,387
Ramona Ramdial 1,476
Stacy Roopnarine 1,749
n Chairman
David Lee 15,171
Fuad Khan 2,525
Tim Gopeesingh 1,951