LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY

First of all, it must be acknowledged that at the moment there does not seem to be any justiciable evidence that the elections were stolen. The problem here is that there are too many ugly and most unnecessary suspicions floating around that they in fact were! it is a little like trying to prove that I was at your house at midnight last night. I was, but I am going to lie and say that I wasn't. And because you were the only one who saw me there you can't prove it. So, I must be given the benefit of the doubt and get away with my lie.

Look, if you want to believe that this was a fair election then go ahead and believe it. I don't, but I certainly can't prove that it wasn't. There are too many serious allegations floating around. For example, there is a report that in LaHorquetta/Talparo at polling station 2085 (Wallerfield) there were 1,939 polling cards of which 1,371 were white polling cards which are supposedly issued to persons who did not have ID cards. However, the station diaries do not support this. So? Is this report true? Because if it is it points to voter fraud in which the EBC may be complicit. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see how serious this is or could be.

Then we have the allegedly defeated UNC candidate for St. Joseph, Alloy Hunt, making allegations that the recount in his constituency was fraudulently carried out. The problem here is that according to Mr. Hunt there was an agreement with the PNM and the EBC that the recount would take place between the hours of 9am to 5pm. But on the first day of the recount after the UNC representatives left, the EBC together with the PNM representatives then counted a further 4 boxes. And apparently the same thing happened over the next two following days. But no credible explanation has been given by Mr. Hunt or his team as to why, after this alleged fraud or breach of agreement, they continued to trust the EBC and the PNM. Certainly, Mr. Hunt's & Co.'s actions beg incredulity.

So what we have, looking at these two examples (and there are many, many more) is a total mess, with the general population being left hopelessly and helplessly in the dark as to what really happened.

Then we have the rather glaring absence of leadership in the UNC. That party's political leader has been missing in action with others filling in for her. Oh! We have had some press releases in her name, but she has not appeared in public since last Monday night. Now, I've said it before  and I'll say it again: the only test for leadership is to lead, and to lead vigorously. At a time when the followers and supporters of the UNC are understandably upset over the way things have turned out, she has been silent preferring to issue press releases and effectively to hide behind her officials and supporters. 

Mrs. Persad-Bissessar's very hesitancy to appear in public has led to calls from various elements within her own party to step aside. Essentially, these calls can be summed up as follows: lead, follow, or get out of the way. She has so far failed to lead and she certainly isn't following anyone. So that means that she should, for both her party's and her country's sake, get out of the way.