Former prime minister Patrick Manning cast his ballot in favour of the PNM yesterday, but says he will be at home sleeping when the election results are announced.
His revelation of his vote has dispelled speculation that he is not in support of his successor Dr Keith Rowley, even though the UNC’s campaign team suggested otherwise.
Lifting his tainted index finger yesterday, Manning smilingly declared that he voted PNM.
“I am a PNM and I voted for PNM,” he said.
Manning and his wife, Hazel, cast their ballots at the San Fernando Methodist School at Mon Chagrin Street around 10.30 am. This polling station is in the constituency of San Fernando West which was contested by the PNM’s Faris Al-Rawi, the UNC’s Raziah Ahmed and independent candidate Jowelle De Souza.
Dressed casually and wearing a brace around his right arm, Manning hobbled towards the polling booth where he took 20 minutes to cast his vote.
Asked how he was feeling, Manning said, “I am feeling well. I have voted, I voted for the PNM and that is all there is to say.”
Asked if he believed the PNM would be victorious, Manning responded, “We will see.” Asked to give his thoughts on the campaigning, Manning said, “I don’t know. I was not involved in it. I came, I voted and I am going back home. That is it for me. “
Asked where he expected to be when the election results were announced, Manning said, “Tonight I will be home, sleeping.”
He also said his health was improving. “I do therapy five or six times per week,” he added.
Manning suffered paralysis of the right side of his body following a stroke in January 2012. Meanwhile, Hazel Manning said she had no comment on the election campaign.
“I really don’t know because I was not involved,” she said.