Defeated United National Congress (UNC) candidate Ian Alleyne says he intends to use his Crime Watch programme to continue to "mash up" his political opponents.Alleyne made the statement while speaking with reporters on Monday night, moments after he delivered his concession speech at the UNC's St Joseph constituency office, Aranguez Main Road, Aranguez.Alleyne lost the hotly contested by-election to People's National Movement (PNM) candidate Terrance Deyalsingh by a margin of 779 votes.
Preliminary results released by the Elections and Boundaries Commission indicated that the Crime Watch host secured some 5,577 votes, while Deyalsingh captured 6,356 votes. Independent Liberal Party (ILP) candidate Om Lalla received 1,976 votes, Independent candidate Errol Fabien received 300 votes and Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate Michael Lopez captured five.
The Crime Watch host told reporters he had "absolutely no regrets" over contesting Monday's by-election in St Joseph. "I am not depressed. I am a performer, to be able to do all these projects, see about the school...these things that were never done in years. I did my part. A hundred of votes, that could never sour me," he said.Alleyne put Deyalsingh on notice that he will be back in 2015, when the general election is due, to take the St Joseph seat from him.
He said Crime Watch will be back and "hotter" than ever as he told reporters that he had taken 15 days' "vacation" from his Crime Watch programme on CNC 3.He said he is not worried about his show and its success after his election defeat. "I am the brand, I am Ian Alleyne and I am here to stay...I am the brand," he said. Alleyne sounded a warning to Deyalsingh and the PNM that he has trained his guns on them.
"Pray to God when I start back, when Crime Watch come back on TV...we had a great time, we mash them up and I coming to mash them up. Deyalsingh, I will hot up yuh head, I will hot up all ah allyuh head. I coming to hot up back all ah yuh head," Alleyne declared.This declaration elicited thunderous applause and cheers from UNC supporters who had gathered at the constituency office to show their support for Alleyne.
Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj, speaking with the T&T Guardian briefly at the constituency office on Monday after the preliminary results showed the PNM taking the lead in the race, said: "It is a marginal seat, so we expected as much."For most of the evening Alleyne was not seen at the office and on two occasions he was seen pacing back and forth at the back of the office where he remained for most of the night.
At 9.50 pm PNM chairman Franklin Khan declared victory for the opposition, as UNC supporters waited patiently for the arrival of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in St Joseph.Persad-Bissessar arrived 20 minutes later, at 10.10 pm, where she was greeted by cheers and applause from eager supporters.Shouts of "Prime Minister we not leaving you at all. We standing with you, We love you," echoed outside the office as supporters pledged their allegiance to Persad-Bissessar.
At 10.41 pm, Alleyne and the Prime Minister emerged from the office hand in hand as supporters chanted, "Ian, Ian, Ian," and cheered. Alleyne told supporters he was pleased with his performance at the polls."I could raise my head. The best endorsement I could have ever gotten in my life is being placed in the public domain, up for scanning. My integrity, my character, my reputation was put into the public domain and, ladies and gentlemen, I can stand before you and say I am clean," he said.
Alleyne declared that he is a UNC member and will continue to work with the party to secure victory in 2015."Come next general election, it going to be wetting after wetting," he declared.