Shortly after 11 pm on Monday, United National Congress political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar arrived at the Couva Multi-Purpose Car Park to jubilant yellow-clad supporters.
Music trucks, who had filed in one by one after news broke that the UNC had seized control of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, filled the air with a mixture of Soca music and the party’s campaign anthem “Talk Done” as the yellow flags started fluttering about hoisted by enthusiastic supporters.
The UNC leader left her jubilant audience to enter the office of Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh, where for 30 minutes she prepared to address the party faithful in the company of fellow MPs and executive members of the UNC.
At minutes to midnight, she emerged to deliver her speech of celebration.
It did start with an acknowledgement of the tragedy that befell one of their successful candidates Whitney Stevenson Hamlet.
Hamlet’s home was destroyed by fire around 2:30 pm on Monday.
She had won the Enterprise South seat in the Chaguanas Borough Corporation,
“For one of our candidates today, it is a bittersweet day, and I speak of Whitney, who has won us a PNM seat. Unfortunately, Whitney experienced a fire at her home today, but I know the UNC family will help her,” she said.
“Thus far we have won 68 seats, so we have increased the number of seats that we have won,” she said to the gleeful crowd, stating her party’s intention to recount several seats in San Fernando and Sangre Grande.
“They outspent us 100 to one,’ said the Siparia MP who quipped that her team had done major groundwork in response to heavy electronic media campaigning of their opponents,” So whilst it is nice to have money to spend, money can’t buy you love.”
Four hours earlier, it was a far different picture.
There was great uncertainty as to whether or not the Opposition Leader would even come to the Couva South Multipurpose Hall, as most officials told Guardian Media she was expected to make an appearance but would be monitoring the results from her home constituency of Siparia.
Then came an early ice breaker, senior UNC member Joe Sirju revealed to the media that the La Romaine electoral district had been declared in their favour at around minutes to 8 pm. The relief was in the air, as Sirju revealed the party was concerned that with boundary changes, the PNM had found a foot in the Penal Debe Regional Corporation. A sentiment that Oropouche MP Roodal Moonilal had expressed earlier on the election day.
Still, the cheers were few and far between until about an hour later, when the first bit of news from Sangre Grande started coming into the tabulation team.
From there the mood livened.
Cheers were more frequent.
“That is result,” was heard from the tabulation table as more green rectangles, signifying UNC victory on the whiteboard, were visible.
And then the trucks came rolling in.