Senior political reporter
The Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP), which believes its Local Government Elections candidates in Arima Northeast and Lengua/Indian Walk gained the deciding votes in those districts, will be open to working with any party in T&T’s interest.
The PEP said it may join forces with either the People’s National Movement or the United National Congress, but only if the need arises.
PEP leader Phillip Alexander confirmed this yesterday.
He spoke after Thursday’s Election and Boundaries Commission’s final check of ballots in Arima Northeast, where the PNM won.
The PEP’s candidate for the district, Curt Clement, obtained 81 votes when the PNM and UNC’s candidates initially tied for the seat in the August 14 elections.
The tie led to a recount which the UNC subsequently won, but the PNM questioned certain ballots.
In Thursday’s recount by the EBC, the PNM was eventually declared the winner.
In Lengua/Indian Walk, PEP’s candidate Bronson Douglas obtained 87 votes when the UNC and PNM’s candidates tied twice. The EBC has declared fresh elections there. The UNC, however, has taken legal action against the commission for this decision after it rejected a ballot as spoilt. The ballot in question had a vote which was in the UNC’s favour.
But yesterday, Alexander said the outcome of the elections told a story about PEP’s performance.
“In Lengua and Arima, PEP held the deciding vote. In Diego Martin, we could have swung the election either way. Unlike Gary and the NTA, the PEP brings out voters who were not already voting, and we’re only getting bigger and stronger,” Phillip said.
“We’re powering on. But I say this to both the PNM and UNC: that if we believe after all the work we are about to do that we may not prosper on our own, we may consider negotiating with others for a better country.”
Alexander added, “This is not the time for more politics of convenience. Any coalition or partnership for government must benefit all the people or what would be the point? The PEP is in this to fix it - to end the reign of the corrupt and the political con artists and break the contract mafia.”
He said the PEP will be doing its homework from now to the general election.
“We’re going to work over the next two years to build our party into a formidable force to win the election outright on our own so as to do what we promise to do. But as said, if the numbers suggest that there might be another route to accomplish the changes we want - if we can enter into protected, transparent and guaranteed negotiations for a better country - we’ll let our members decide what happens next,” Alexander said.
“No one knows what the future holds. The next election’s outcome must be be a victory for the people.”