…as coalition clings to power
Caretaker Public Security Minister and Prime Ministerial Candidate of the APNU/AFC Coalition, Khemraj Ramjattan has denied conceding defeat at the March 2 General and Regional Elections, although there is an audio recording of him claiming otherwise.
Ramjattan, in an audio recording heard by INews, delivered a “farewell speech” to staffers at the Public Security Ministry, admitting that the APNU/AFC coalition had lost the elections.
However, during an interview Thursday with Trinidad’s CCN TV6, Ramjattan denied that he ever conceded the coalition’s loss.
When asked by the host Fazeer Mohammed to confirm the recording, Ramjattan said: “That is absolutely not correct. I indicated because being Prime Ministerial Candidate, you would have to move out from the Public Security Ministry and I was aware that there was going to be an announcement just before this matter went to our Court of Appeal that there will be an announcement with a declaration.”
“So I just went to thank my officers, all the heads of the unit of my security ministry and that is exactly what I did. I indicated to them and thanked them for what they did, the results, one way or the other, are going to be declared soon, and we will respect that and we will move on. I will move on if we win the elections, certainly to the Office of Prime Minister”.
But in the recording, Ramjattan is heard saying that this is the “end” of the coalition government.
Ramjattan had said: “It is with a little sadness that I want to say a couple of remarks to you. I don’t know…although I rather suspect that there will be a declaration. The numbers were against us, I am prepared to accept and to move on…”
“From all indications, the results of the recount and everything else, the PPP has beaten us by some 15,000 votes,” the AFC Executive said.
The national recount has since confirmed that the PPP/C has won the March 2 elections by 15,416 votes over its nearest political rival; the APNU/AFC coalition. However, Ramjattan and his colleagues, both in the AFC and APNU, are yet to accept the results and concede defeat in spite of mounting calls and threats of international sanctions.
