Dear Editor,
The tracking opinion poll conducted by the New York-based North American Caribbean Teachers Association on the just concluded local government elections in Trinidad was on target. The survey’s several findings and predictions on the projected outcome were spot on. Voters gave the Kamla-led Peoples Partnership an overwhelming mandate in consonance with the prediction of the poll. Kamlamania, as the poll discovered, spreading like a fever, is the main reason why the PP overwhelmed a demoralized PNM on Monday winning by a landslide as the poll predicted.
The series of ongoing tracking NACTA polls were conducted by Guyanese Vishnu Bisram who is a teacher in New York.
The NACTA survey found that the Peoples Partnership would win a minimum 10 corporations with the PNM winning two corporations (Pt. Fortin and San Juan Laventille) with two others, Port of Spain and Diego Martin, closely contested and the PNM losing ground in all three seats.
The poll revealed in its release last Saturday that PP was ahead in Diego Martin 5-3 with two seats close. The PP ended up winning seven seats.
The poll stated that the PNM was ahead in POS 5-4 with three seats close. The PNM ended up winning eight seats.
The poll also showed that the PP would win representation in all of the 14 corporations including Pt. Fortin where the UNC never won a seat and that was the outcome. The poll found the PNM leading 4-1 in Pt. Fortin with one seat a toss up. The PP captured two seats.
The poll found the PP ahead 5-1 in Arima with one seat a toss up; the PP won six seats.
The poll concluded that the PP would win about 100 seats and it appears that was the actual outcome.
The poll stated that the PNM would lose several deposits (TT$2500) for each seat that it failed to garner one eighth of the votes cast. It appears that the PNM will not have deposits returned on several seats especially in Indian constituencies in South and Central Trinidad.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram