Lady vice-chairman candidate on Team Penny slate Marva Bostic complained yesterday about several irregularities in the Peoples National Movement (PNM) internal elections under the one-man-one-vote system. Before speaking with reporters Bostic complained to Team Rowley’s candidate for public relations officer post Faris Al Rawi about these issues after he and his mother Dianne Seukeran voted at the Skiffle Pan Theatre in San Fernando.
Al Rawi told Bostic he was sure that those issues would be sorted out. Before he left, though, Bostic gave Al Rawi, who she described as family, a kiss on the check, declaring that if the rumour that he will be fighting the San Fernando West seat in the general election is true, he has her complete support. Bostic, who had voted earlier at that same polling station, said there were problems with the membership lists. Some 82,000 members were registered to vote.
She said six party group members who were on the preliminary list were not on the list yesterday morning. One of them, Denzil Thomas, ended up on the list in Cascade although he lives in San Fernando.
In addition, she said, some people names appeared more than once on the same list. “On the list one name appeared two and three times and that is why I call. This whole election with this whole list is a farce...I can tell you that Joan Yuille Wiliams name was in San Fernando East and San Fernando West. We look at it last night and we laugh..there are too many hiccups on the list,” Bostic said. She said the PNM was not prepared for the one-man-one- vote system.
However, Bostic said she will not challenge the results. “We are PNM. I am PNM. We will not do anything to disrupt this election. We are in it to win and I will tell you one thing nobody cannot stop Team Penny.” Whatever the outcome, she said: “I will be happy with it because I am willing to work. I am a worker.” Based on the flow of voters at the polling stations she visited, Bostic estimated the voter turn out might have been less than 50 per cent.
The son of former PNM political leader and prime minister Patrick Manning, Brian also voted at the Skiffle Pan Yard. Manning was registered to vote at Cocoyea Government School, but no one could say whether or not he was voting.