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Politics : COP candidate blames PNM for attacking him

2007/11/2 11:10:00

A candidate for the Congress of the People (COP) who was severely beaten at his Laventille West constituency office blames the governing People's National Movement for the attack.

COP Candidate David St Clair, recovering from a savage beating. He says he's sure it was the work of the PNM, adding that the UNC-A has nothing to gain from attacking him. He plans to be at the COP rally Saturday.

David St Clair was attacked last Saturday by three men as he was about to begin a walkabout in his constituency.

See related story: COP candidate beaten, in coma at hospital
He was in a coma for a few days. His left cheek was fractured and St Clair has clotted blood in his head. He said doctors could not operate on the cheek until the clots dissolve.

St Clair told local media he believes the PNM is afraid that he might win the seat.

He said he is convinced it was politically motivated although he cannot say with certainty it was the PNM.

But he said it is not the work of the opposition UNC Alliance because that party doesn't have any hope of winning the seat and has nothing to gain from trying to harm him.

The UNC-A candidate Juliet Davy is a friend of St Clair although they are opposing each other in the campaign.

Davy has said that Laventille is her home and she knows that violence and crime is a major problem that she must address if elected as the member of Parliament for the area.

But she is particularly bothered by the thought that it might be politically motivated.

In the neighbouring constituency of Laventille East, a UNC-A activist was shot and killed outside the party's campaign office.