PNM pulls ahead

VOTERS in Belmont East and Barataria are holding their cards close to their chests ahead of the July 16 by-elections in both districts. However hints from voters in both districts suggest strong support for the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) with four weeks to go before the polls.

On June 6, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley advised President Paula Mae-Weekes of the by-election date. The Barataria and Belmont East districts became vacant due to the deaths of PNM councillors Pernell Bruno (July 8, 2017) and Darryl Rajpaul (November 18, 2017), respectively.

Nomination Day is June 25. Rowley also advised the President that election writs be issued in accordance with the provisions of Section 29 of the Municipal Corporations Act.

Newsday visited both districts Monday to get the views of voters. Owner of KJ Mini Mart Shafick Nazim said, “This is a PNM area. It is hard to beat PNM in Belmont.” Nazim’s business is located at Piggott’s Corner, one of the PNM’s traditional stomping grounds in TT. Nazim has lived in the area for the last 50 years. He disclosed that when PNM founder Dr Eric Williams held his first meeting in Belmont, it happened upstairs his business. “That’s how long I supported PNM.”

Nazim, 86, praised Rajpaul. “Oh boy, he was very good. I don’t believe we could get another candidate like Darryl Rajpaul. He was very, very good to the people. Rajpaul and I were very good friends.” Nazim said Rajpaul helped old and young people in Belmont East. “He was a very good and genuine councillor.” Nazim hoped PNM Belmont East candidate Nicole Young, “would do better than what Rajpaul did.” He hoped the new councillor who will “clean up Belmont.” Nazim also hoped for, “a safer Belmont.” Nazim also hoped for “good services” for Belmont. He added that if politicians cannot provide good services for the country,”it doesn’t make sense voting for them.”

Andre Sheppard told Newsday he was Rajpaul’s friend and neighbour. “We played football against each other. We played football together.” Sheppard remmbered Rajpaul as “a helpful guy” and someone who was very much connected to his constituents. Recalling that Rajpaul worked tirelessly to serve the district, Sheppard said Rajpaul also had two bypass surgeries. He opined this had “a profound effect” on Rajpaul’s body and he was saddened by his death.

However Sheppard said Rajpaul, “left a good legacy.” He pointed to some nearby road humps which Rajpaul had installed after a school girl was knocked down by a speeding car. “ Darryl was doing a really, really excellent job.”

Sheppard was aware that Rajpaul was planning a lot of projects for the district. He did not know what happened to them after Rajpaul died. Sheppard predicted the voter turnout on July 16 will be low, “as usual.” The turnout is always larger for general elections, he added.

Whoever wins the by-election in Belmont East, Sheppard continued, “has to take up the mantle” that Rajpaul left behind. However he observed, “The brothers in Belmont. They don’t catch the gist of local government.” Sheppard said the tendency continues to be run to the MP, “when something happens.” The PNM’s local government reform idea, where the councillor is the first option, is a good one, Sheppard said. However he said councillors need to be more accessible to the people. Asked whether the PNM would win in Belmont East, Sheppard replied, “Come on. This area. It would go one way.”

Saying he knew former UNC senator Wayne Sturge, Sheppard said he told Sturge he would be wasting his deposit by contesting the district in the November 2016 Local Government Elections. Rajpaul defeated Sturge in those elections.

Sheppard said the Progressive Empowerment Party had a meeting in Belmont last weekend and there were no more than 20 people present. He identified infrastructure and crime as two of the areas biggest challenges.

A supermarket owner, who declined to give his name, said he was undecided about voting. A mechanic said he got a good impression from UNC Belmont East candidate Liana Babb-Gonzales.

However he has not decided on who he will support yet. At the KCA Bar on Belmont Circular Road, a group of men actively debated the July 16 by-election. “Only diehards will vote. We don’t want the UNC. They don’t have a chance,” one man said. A second man predicted the voter turnout for the by-election will be, “worse, worse, worse.” A third man said the PNM cannot be blamed for the current problems in the country when, “we did not have any investments for the last five years when UNC was in power.” A fourth man argued all politicians were the same, with the exception of former prime minister Patrick Manning (deceased). “The government doesn’t have to give you anything.”

Resident Jennifer David said she has not decided about whether she will vote. David wanted to see more lights in parts of the community. Another resident who identified herself as “Carol” said, “I don’t know (about voting), when the time comes.” Crime was her major concern. “Too much killing all over the place.”

In Barataria, Oliver Griffith said, “The PNM ain’t, UNC ain’t good and who coming here ain’t good neither.” Griffith said he had done public relations for both the PNM and UNC. Referring to the Bible, Griffith said, “Right now, we the population are in the last days.”

Saying he chose to focus on his own affairs, Griffith said he used his pension to build two houses and rent them out as apartments. Griffith described Bruno as a good councillor. Pointing to a nearby pothole, Griffith said infrastructure was a big problem in the district.

Businessman Rondel Greaves shared that view. “I knew him personally, he was on the ground.” However Greaves believed that “visibility” was something which local government representatives were lacking. “I think basically what people are looking for right now is more visibility. Come down on the ground.” An elderly resident who declined to give his name, said the PNM had a strong turnout at a recent meeting in Barataria for the party’s candidate. Kimberly Small. He said he will be voting on July 16. A woman said she was not thinking about the by-election but would decide closer to the date. The UNC’s Barataria candidate is Sharon Maraj-Dharam.

An ongoing North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) poll put the PNM ahead of the UNC in both districts. NACTA said the PNM was “coasting” in Belmont East but facing some opposition from the UNC in Barataria. NACTA said UNC supporters “are not as politically enthusiastic” toward their party’s candidates as opposed to their PNM counterparts. The late selection of Maraj-Dharam and Babb-Gonzales is also working against the UNC. Young and Small were chosen by the PNM in April. The UNC selected Maraj-Dharam and Babb-Gonzales on June 10, four days after Rowley announced the by-election date.

The PNM held a public meeting at the Barataria Community Centre in support of Young and Small on June 7. The UNC presented its candidates at a public meeting last night at Don Miguel Hindu School on Monday night.