Election dead-heat: UNC 18 - PNM 18
Posted: Monday, December 10, 2001

It is an 18-18 tie and unlike 1995 when the NAR came forward to break that 17-17 deadlock, there is no one to help either the PNM or the UNC this time.

The UNC lost one of its seats - Tunapuna. The candidate Mervyn Assam, who had been one of the main campaign speakers, lost the fight in a close battle with the PNM's Eddie Hart, whom he defeated in 2000 by 336 votes.

The PNM gained Tobago East through Eudine Job, while the once powerful NAR has now been wiped out of the political scene both in Trinidad and Tobago.

The NAR is just holding on to four seats in the THA, and after Hochoy Charles sacrificed his THA seat to fight the Tobago West seat, the NAR has just three.

The three UNC dissident Ministers Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Ralph Maraj, and Trevor Sudama lost their seats under the Team Unity banner although Maharaj saved face by retaining his deposit.

Team Unity, whose members broke ranks with the UNC, failed to make a difference as their campaign suggested.

The UNC retained the other marginal seats - Ortoire/Mayaro, St Joseph, Barataria/San Juan, and San Fernando West. There was a close fight for the Toco/Manzanilla seat with the PNM's Roger Boynes retaining the constituency.

According to the Elections and Boundaries Commission, preliminary statistics show that 508,560 cast their vote in yesterday's election, compared with 597,000 in 2000.

It is up to President Arthur NR Robinson to determine who is most likely to command a majority in the House of Representatives.

Whatever happens the country will have to go back to the polls over the next few months. One hopes that the Elections and Boundaries Commission will use the time at its disposal to further improve its procedures to ensure that every single Trinidadian and Tobagonian, eligible to do so, is able to exercise his or her franchise.

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