Confident Newallo-Hosein votes as special elector

Having already cast her vote as a special elector in the UNC’s internal election tomorrow, political leader candidate Christine Newallo-Hosein is already looking to the future. She said her next task would be preparing the party to contest bye-elections in two electoral districts left vacant after the deaths of Belmont East councillor Darryl Rajpaul and Barataria councillor Pernell Bruno respectively.

Newallo-Hosein voted at the party’s Southern Main Road, Couva headquarters yesterday.

In an interview yesterday, Newallo-Hosein, who is also Cumuto/Manzanilla MP, said while her campaign was facing “numerous challenges” such as an incomplete membership list, she remained confident she had been able to change the mindset of the party’s membership.

“It is going good on my end,” Newallo-Hosein said. “There are numerous challenges that, as a candidate, I am facing in terms of the type of information that is being released. For instance, the ability to get the listed information in terms of the voter listing but I am not bothered by that, I am moving straight ahead and do what I need to do and I am pretty confident.”

“I have had very low-keyed meetings for the very purpose of protecting persons who may feel they may be terrorised or victimised so I have kept everything I am doing very low-keyed.”

Newallo-Hosein said she is happy about what she has been able to achieve so far.

“I am looking at what happens afterwards, this is my desire, to bring about a united and empowered United National Congress party in light of the fact that we will have two bye-elections coming up very soon.

“That would be my focus after Sunday, to put things in place to move us forward.”

Asked about her standing in the party should she lose the election, she maintained there was no tension with her colleagues and the election was part of the party’s democratic process.