Email

Print

7News was there and we kept the political pulse through the course of the day into night:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
Its convention season for the UDP and the flag was hoisted high at the ITVET on Sunday. The mood was much more relaxed than the previous weekend's Port Loyola convention.

We didn't see any lines to vote. Dr. Carla Barnett was appeared to be in a hectic work-mode. Freddy Cantiliano was hustling votes at the gate and even running them down.

While OJ Elrington was mugging for photos with supporters. A sharp contrast and a luxury likely afforded because Lee Mark Chang was pounding the pavement for him.

Along with the Deputy Prime Minister was also visibly working: Both candidates had strong visibility of supporters on the ground - but numerically, Elrington had more people in his shirts:

OJ Elrington, UDP Freetown Aspirant
"At the end of the day as I said, I have an absolutely excellent team and so I have full faith and trust in them. They told me my simple task for today is simply to meet and greet people and so that is what I have been doing. They are dealing with the operations."

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, UDP Freetown Aspirant
"It's going pretty good. I think we are where we expected to be at this point in time. Maybe even a little bit ahead in terms of bringing out our voters. So we're okay."

Hon. Lee Mark Chang, Elrington Campaign Manager
"We are definitely on the winning side of the people coming out. I think at 11am we were roughly about 500 people coming out. Right now we are consolidating our list to make sure that we get all our people out. Out of the 500 I do believe we have about 350 of that already for us."

The odd man out was third candidate Fredy Cantiliano:

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You don't have any major backing from a big figure in the UDP and second, you don't have the kind of money and logistics and grease that they have. So how do you fit into this?"

Fredy Cantiliano, UDP Freetown Aspirant
"I fit into this because I want walk the streets. I make sure I went to everybody. They saw me. We spoke and today we are going to be seeing a result."

But, in politics what you put in is what you get out - and you've got to put in more than miles, you've got to put in money:

Hon. Lee Mark Chang, Elrington Campaign Manager
"Definitely the opponent is spending by far more than us. But if you look around the majority of the people here is for OJ Elrington."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I'm told that people who work for Dr. Barnett are getting paid $150."

Hon. Lee Mark Chang
"We cannot meet or match that. That's for sure. We don't have that kind of budget. We pay far less and once they are willing to come work for you for far less, what does that mean?"

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Your opponent says you are outspending him 3-1. He say he is paying his workers $50 for the day and you are paying $150."

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett
"Jules, I don't know about outspending 3-1. I have not paid for any ad. I have done no ads, no national TV or radio ads at all. That cost money. I've done none of those kinds of things. So it's not true to say that its 3-1. It's just isn't."

But what is true, is that, maneuvering, more than money often dictates political outcomes:

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Now, conventions are held on Sunday, but it's not church. It's a dirty business. A lot of tricks are played on these days and that is par for the course."

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett
"I didn't intend and I do not intend to come in and play the game the way men play the game. Because that's not what I think I ought to be doing. But I do know that I stand up and defend myself. For example, earlier this morning our DPM was in the line campaigning with people about to go in to vote and I had to tell him no. We had agreed that that's not going to be done and so he is not doing it anymore."

And while Elrington shirts dominated, Barnett was counting on the unaffiliated voters:

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett
"There are quite a number of people, if you were here earlier today, who normally don't go to conventions who came out. So that's an interesting phenomena here that I observed that we had quite a number of people who are not your normal convention attendees who came out today."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"And you think they came out to vote for?"

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett
"Why would I tell you?"

No need for suspense - 5 hours later when the polls closed at 5:00, anticipation was high. We saw mostly OJ Elrington supporters were milling around.

By 5:20 word started to trickle out from the counting room that OJ Elrington was ahead in every box. And by 5:30, Elrington strode out, arm in arm with his key supporters - into the victor's embrace:

It's a first political success in a first attempt for OJ Elrington.

OJ Elrington, UDP Standard Bearer
"It's absolutely spectacular my brother. The people of Freetown have spoken and we are absolutely happy and excited to continue the work for the people of Freetown."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Okay, now the real hurdle is Francis Fonseca in the biggest tsunami in the UDP history they couldn't beat Francis Fonseca in 2008. He is a tough guy to beat. How do you hope to take him on?"

OJ Elrington, UDP Standard Bearer
"As you know I use to run track right, when I use to run track, they said keep your eyes on your race. You run your race no matter who is the opponent."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"UDP has now won this seat since 1989. It is 30 years since the UDP hasn't held this seat. Is it realistic for these supporters to expect that UDP can actually win Freetown?"

OJ Elrington, UDP Standard Bearer
"Two things: this is the first time there was a convention for Freetown and secondly, this is the first time the Freetown action team - Team OJ is in a race."

Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Deputy Party Leader
"OJ brings a certain energy. He is young, he is fresh and he did the ground work. Ge demonstrated to the people right off that he wanted to do the work. There are victories down the road for United Democratic Party."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"That's not realistic sir. The UDP hasn't won this division it will be 30 years when the next general election comes."

Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Deputy Party Leader
"Ahh, but you see a wind of change has blown."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir, Francis Fonseca is like you - tough to beat."

Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Deputy Party Leader
"Well we will topple that giant."

Hon. Lee Mark Chang
"You see the sun burn on my face, you know I worked my bottom off."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"It's the first victory you had as a politician. How do you feel emotionally?"

Hon. Lee Mark Chang
"I feel good. I can't deny that, but the work is not done."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Dr. Carla Barnett is not Francis Fonseca. As the deputy leader alluded to, he is a formidable opponent. You have failed against him. Dr. Barnett has failed by a larger margin. What will be the difference for OJ?"

Hon. Lee Mark Chang
"Don't forget we just had a new re-registration in this list. Those padded list will not happen no more."

And while the winners took the oath, there was deep disappointment on the other side:

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, Lost convention
"We've lost. My team is not happy about that, because we really work very hard. I've congratulated Orson and wish him well. I wish the party well and we move on from here."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Where do you move on to? Will you retire from electoral politics? Its 2 decisive defeats in a row."

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, Lost convention
"Yeah, that goes without saying. I'm not doing this again. You asked me on Friday when we talk whether or not I was playing the game the right way and maybe it is that I was not playing the game the right way because its clear that if you play a clean game you cant. It's just difficult."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"So you don't think essentially that it was a fair contest in the strictest sense of the word?"

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, Lost convention
"Of course it's a fair contest in the sense that we don't really have rules. So you play the rules the way you see it fit and at the end of the day the people decided that's where they were going to go for whatever reason they did. I would hope that at some point it becomes a way of doing it that women are able to play the game on an even field."

And while the two opponents embraced at the end - it'll be some time before the wounds heal:

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Will you urge your supporters to throw their support behind OJ in the battle against Francis Fonseca?"

Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, Lost convention
"We are one party and I would hate for the party be disunited."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Will you make peace with Carla Barnett?"

OJ Elrington, UDP Standard Bearer
"I don't know that there was ever not peace with me and Dr. Carla Barnett."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"She called you a liar."

OJ Elrington, UDP Standard Bearer
"But at the end of the day we embrace each other. I don't know if you were there, but we are committed to work together to ensure that we deliver Freetown for the UDP and for the people of Freetown."

Orson Elrington got 630 votes, beating Dr. Carla Barnett's 470 votes by a margin of 160. Fredy Cantiliano got 53 votes for a total of 1,171 votes.