ELECTIONS: MORE VIOLENCE THAN USUAL, ALTHOUGH

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 001079

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PGOV TD
SUBJECT: ELECTIONS: MORE VIOLENCE THAN USUAL, ALTHOUGH
MOTIVES UNCLEAR

REF: PORT OF SPAIN 1077


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) Summary: An opposition Congress of the People
candidate was attacked and injured in front of his campaign
office October 27. Political leaders across the spectrum
condemned the attack, but differed on its motives. Police
are investigating and have promised to do all they can to
protect candidates. The level of vandalism and violence in
this campaign is higher than in past election races, but
still relatively low. The increase in incidents may be
reflective more of the growing levels of insecurity and
criminality in society than any centrally-directed political
plan. End summary.


2. (SBU) COP Laventille West candidate David St. Clair was
attacked in front of his local campaign office and severely
beaten with a club and the flat end of a machete on October

27. He was hospitalized with severe but not life-threatening
injuries; he may be released today. The motive for the
attack, witnessed by several people, is unclear. St. Clair
reportedly refused earlier demands for protection money from
a gang and went public with the alleged blackmail attempt;
some see this as payback. Another theory, not completely at
odds with the first since Laventille is a poor, crime-ridden
area and PNM stronghold, is that PNM adherents who are also
gang members &picked on8 the COP candidate. A more
far-fetched theory is that St. Clair was beaten because the
COP had instigated the temporary arrest of UNC Laventille
candidate Lennox Smith for violating a domestic protection
order and for passing bad checks. Under this theory, the
gang members either were connected to Smith or the UNC.


3. (SBU) In an earlier incident, UNC activist Sean Douglas
was shot to death October 25 near the party's Laventille
East/Morvant campaign headquarters. Family members said he
had been arguing with a youth about a radio and that led to
the shooting; most believe this was not politically
motivated. Also on October 25, the campaign manager and
driver for the COP candidate from Toco/Sangre Grande were
injured when a glass bottle struck the car in which the
candidate also was riding. The bottle was reportedly thrown
from a car plastered with PNM stickers. In an October 24
incident, a flaming garment was tossed under a van belonging
to a UNC supporter attending a political meeting in San
Juan/Barataria. It was removed before the van suffered any
damage. Earlier in the campaign, the offices of COP
candidates Marlene Coudray and Gillian Lucky were broken into
and vandalized


4. (SBU) Comment: It is difficult to distinguish criminal
from political violence, especially in areas such as
Laventille and San Juan where delinquency is high. Violence
has not been common in past electoral campaigns here and
reports of it ) even inconclusive reports like those above
) have unsettled some. At a minimum, the sensationalist
press coverage of these incidents has once again raised the
issue of personal security to the fore; polls consistently
show crime to be a top concern of Trinbagonians and this
issue has been a PNM weak spot. Nonetheless, the overall
campaign has been peaceful and open and there are no signs
there is any central direction of the scattered acts that
have occurred. End comment.

KUSNITZ