The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election results remain the same after the Progressive Democratic Patriots leader Watson Duke lost a recount in the closely contested Goodwood/Belle Garden electoral district yesterday.
The party won two of the 12 available seats in Monday's election, but felt it had a chance via a recount after People's National Movement candidate Hayden Spencer (953) only beat the PDP's Dr Faith Yisrael (948) by five votes.
Speaking to the media during a press conference at the PSA's office in Scarborough before the count yesterday, Duke said the results were too close for comfort and it was a cause for concern.
"The electoral district of Belle Garden/Goodwood and a little piece of Mt St George came into question last night (Monday) and I would say into controversy last night, when our candidate for the area, Dr Faith B Yisrael, was leading the count and the first recount, she was ahead of him by two, and then they asked for another recount, then he overtook her," he said
Duke said his party was looking for the "smoking gun" because he believed something sinister was afoot.
He said he received certain information, causing his party to make specific inquiries from the Elections and Boundaries Commission.
"We filed with the EBC the appropriate documentation requesting a recount of all the polling stations, inclusive of all polling cards issued on that day.
"We are hoping when all is said and done, that we triumph and this would work out to the benefit of the Democratic Progressive Patriots," he said.
Like Tobago Forwards leader Christlyn Moore, Duke alleged that individuals were brought from Trinidad by the PNM to vote in the THA elections to influence the outcome.
"We also learned of the fact that many persons who have voted in the Local Government Elections were sponsored by the PNM to come across and vote PNM in this THA elections, so we are also asking that all the additional names that were registered to vote within the incubation period, that they be made available to us during the recount and that those polling cards be checked against those additional names.
"We are looking for the smoking gun and wherever there is smoke, there must be some fire," he said.
The recount started at 3pm and lasted for more than four hours under the watchful eyes of police officers. Officials from both parties witnessed the process. On completion of the process, the results remained the same although there were five rejected ballots which could have gone in favour of the PDP.
However, both sides agreed with the results and deemed it fair and free.
Speaking to the media after the recount, Yisrael said she needed to go through the process to put her constituents at ease.
"Many members of my constituency thought that they may have been cheated, so I needed to ensure that I did everything in my power to prove the results correct, so that they can feel as if the result is really the correct result," she said.
Yisrael said her party did not see the result as a loss, but as motivation to continue representing the people of Tobago.
"The PDP is an organisation that is barely a year old and we have fought and have succeeded against an organisation that is sixty years old, that has the nation's purse strings, has the Prime Minister, the Attorney General and all of the big wigs, fighting against us and for us to come out having won two seats and coming within five votes of a third seat is amazing.
"In my mind, this is such a victory that the PNM needs to be really concerned."
She added, "We have vowed we will not stop, we have vowed that we will not give up, as we say no retreat, no surrender, this is just the beginning. We will continue representing, we will continue ensuring that Tobago has a voice outside of the PNM."
The new THA executive is expected to be sworn in tomorrow at the Assembly Legislature at Jerningham Street, Scarborough.
