Mark slams PM’s condemnation of recount

FORMER opposition senator Wade Mark on Wednesday accused the Prime Minister of being anti-democratic for earlier condemning the Opposition for seeking a recount of last Monday’s general election results in key marginal seats lost by the UNC.

He also asked if Dr Rowley had really ever invited foreign observers to see the polls.

Speaking to Newsday over the phone and hitting Rowley's remarks on the recount, Mark said, “It is the UNC and each candidate’s democratic right under the Constitution, where in the face of mounting irregularities which we are currently compiling to submit to the EBC, population and the media, to demand a recount.”

Mark said he doubted Rowley had invited foreign observers.

“We are demanding he produce the letter which he claimed he received from the Commonwealth Secretariat indicating to the country before August 10 why they couldn’t come. Why is the PM afraid to produce the letter he claimed he received?

Rowley had said the Commonwealth was cash-strapped and so could not sent a team, even as the TT Government was ethically debarred from funding such a visit, while Caricom had only found three people willing to come to TT due to concerns of having to quarantine for 14 days.

Mark alleged, “Grave and mounting irregularities on August 10 demonstrate why the PM deliberately did not invite international observers.”

He also hit Rowley for having declared victory on Monday night before all results had come in. “Democracy is in danger in TT.”

Likening Rowley to “a tin pot dictator gone mad with power,” Mark said, “So we condemn him for his reckless, irresponsible and undemocratic remarks against candidates who are just following our democratic process in seeking a recount.”