The Peo­ple's Na­tion­al Move­ment's (PNM) Faris Al-Rawi has an­nounced that he is the elect­ed rep­re­sen­ta­tive for San Fer­nan­do West fol­low­ing a re­count ex­er­cise that end­ed Thurs­day night.

Speak­ing out­side the Elec­tions and Bound­aries Com­mis­sion (EBC) of­fice on Cipero Street, San Fer­nan­do, Al-Rawi said the re­count went in his favour.

"We have just fin­ished the count for San Fer­nan­do West and I would like to an­nounce that vic­to­ry has been con­firmed. I stand as the Mem­ber of Par­lia­ment prop­er­ly elect­ed for San Fer­nan­do West in the 2020 Gen­er­al Elec­tion," he said.

He de­scribed the ex­er­cise as "a prop­er one" and said the fi­nal count, which was re­quest­ed by the Unit­ed Na­tion­al Con­gress (UNC), was in keep­ing with the Rep­re­sen­ta­tion of the Peo­ple Act which he said he had no com­plaint about.

He said the EBC con­duct­ed an ex­cel­lent ex­er­cise.

Al-Rawi said those won­der­ing why it took so long, should know that on elec­tion night in San Fer­nan­do, there were 59 polling di­vi­sions which had to be checked by EBC per­son­nel from the di­vi­sions, deputies and par­ty rep­re­sen­ta­tives.

He said in the re­count ex­er­cise, how­ev­er, the Re­turn­ing Of­fi­cer had to phys­i­cal­ly check over 15,000 bal­lots, polling cards and stubs.

He said the two in­de­pen­dent can­di­dates sat in on each day of the re­count and they stand as in­de­pen­dent wit­ness­es.

He added that two rep­re­sen­ta­tives who at­tend­ed on be­half of the UNC "were very cor­dial and en­gaged in a prop­er ex­er­cise with us."

Al-Rawi said the rep­re­sen­ta­tives for the UNC "com­pli­ment­ed what was a fair and trans­par­ent process, com­pli­ment­ed the EBC and com­pli­ment­ed me."

He said he was hap­py to be first of rep­re­sen­ta­tive in Trinidad to com­plete the re­count ex­er­cise and was very anx­ious "for T&T's busi­ness to move as it must."