Parties making election preparations

POLITICAL parties other than the PNM and UNC are also taking steps to prepare for the next general election, which is constitutionally due next year.

The Patriotic Front (PF) led by attorney Mickela Panday (daughter of UNC founder and former prime minister Basdeo Panday) began the first phase of screening and selecting candidates on September 21.

In a WhatsApp message to Newsday on September 23, Panday said, "The PF has a multi-step process to screen and select their candidates for elections."

The exercise on September 21, she continued, was candidate vetting and background checks.

In a post on Facebook on September 9, Panday announced the PF was inviting people who were interested in becoming candidates to come forward.

At a party function in San Fernando on May 25, Panday said the PF plans to contest all 41 constituencies.

"We seek candidates who will listen to the people, who will be a true voice for their constituents in the halls of power. If you believe in our values and are passionate about serving your constituency, we encourage you to step forward."

Formed in 2019, the PF intended to contest the 2020 general election, but pulled out after it was unable to make the necessary preparations.

Panday said the time was now right for the PF to enter the election fray.

"People have been calling for it. I do not believe that politicians and political parties must (foist) themselves on the people. The people must call and they're calling."

On August 3, the PF launched its ground campaign, the PF Revolution Tour, in Toco/Sangre Grande.

Panday said one of its objectives is to visit communities which have been neglected by different political parties and get a better understanding of issues affecting constituents on the ground.

The PF has also visited Arouca/ Maloney, La Brea, Las Lomas and St Augustine to date.

It is unclear whether or not the party will contest the election on its own or form an alliance with other parties.

The National Transformation Alliance (NTA), led by former police commissioner and national security minister Gary Griffith, has invited members to submit nominations for candidates.

Griffith was selected unopposed as the NTA's prospective candidate for the key marginal constituency of St Joseph.

This seat is currently represented in Parliament by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, who was first elected its MP in 2013. While the UNC has tipped Opposition Senator Anil Roberts to contest St Joseph, he has not been confirmed as the candidate yet.

On September 20, Griffith launched his campaign in St Joseph with a soup and chat event with constituents.

He repeated the statement he made on August 28, about the NTA choosing people to serve as "custodians" in some key constituencies.

On August 3, the NTA selected Insaf Enightoola, Gail Castanada, Nicolene Chinchamee, Errol Fabien, Russel Chan and Norman Dinidial as constituency custodians for Barataria/San Juan, Port of Spain South, Lopinot/ Bon Air West, Point Fortin, Diego Martin Central and Chaguanas East.

Griffith identified Tunapuna, La Horquetta/Talparo, Toco/Sangre, Moruga/Tableland and San Fernando West as other constituencies where it wants to place custodians.

He anticipated that towards the end of September, more people will be chosen as constituency custodians.

He said depending on what happens with the the NTA's talks with other political parties, these custodians "will immediately become candidates."

The NTA, Congress of the People (COP) and HOPE (Honesty, Opportunity, Performance, Empowerment) have been discussing an election alliance.

The COP has taken a similar approach to the NTA to potential candidates.

Interim COP leader Kirt Sinnette said the party is putting caretakers in certain constituencies. Alvin Cudjoe, Gilbert Agard and Lonsdale Williams are COP caretakers in La Horquetta/Talparo, San Fernando West and Diego Martin Central respectively.

Sinnette, caretaker for Laventille West, said more caretakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We continue to engage our constituents as we build out a compelling prospectus."

On September 15, HOPE announced it had started its first round of screening of candidates for certain constituencies.

These are Diego Martin North/East, Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin West, Laventille West, Port of Spain South, Tunapuna, Cumuto/Manzanilla, Fyzabad, Mayaro, Naparima, Moruga/Tableland, Toco/Sangre and Tabaquite.

There is no indication how this process would be affected if an NTA/COP/HOPE alliance is formed.

In a WhatsApp comment on July 24, HOPE political leader and former Senate president Timothy Hamel-Smith said, "The three parties are among a network of organisations which are having discussions regarding a potential alliance. The form that will take is dependent on how the discussions develop.

"We have an agreed work programme that we have adopted, which includes working on a common set of policies for governance and a vision for the country."

Hamel-Smith also said, "The meetings we have held over the last three weeks have been very productive and we are confident that it will result in a political force to be reckoned with at the next general election."

The first hint of a possible NTA/COP/HOPE alliance came when Griffith, Hamel-Smith and Sinnette made a joint appearance at the Red House on July 27 to commemorate the anniversary of the 1990 coup attempt.

The NTA had an alliance with the Opposition UNC for last August's local government elections, which ended in a 7-7 tie between the PNM and UNC.

The NTA did not win any electoral districts in any of the 14 local government corporations, but secured an alderman on the Diego Martin Borough Council.

UNC leader Persad-Bissessar and Griffith had a public falling-out in February after Persad-Bissessar claimed smaller political parties were piggybacking on the UNC and bringing nothing useful to their relationship.

The rift widened on August 26, when Persad-Bissessar said Griffith was a failure as commissioner of police from 2018-2021.

In a statement on August 28 in defence of Griffith, the NTA said while it remains open to forming strategic alliances with other political parties, it will not "tolerate political leaders who openly attack us on a platform and then expect us to remain silent."

The Progessive Democratic Patriots (PDP) are only focusing on Tobago in the general election.

On August 28, party leader Watson Duke said the PDP will contest the Tobago East and Tobago West seats. He did not say whether the party had selected candidates for those seats or if he would contest one of them.

"On nomination day, the candidates would be revealed. Everything is set and ready for the two Tobago seats."

Duke unsuccessfully contested the Tobago East constituency in the September 2015 and August 2020 elections. The PNM's Ayanna Webster-Roy won the seat on both occasions.

Duke did not give any other information about the PDP's election preparations.

"Simply put. PDP has everything in place for a snap election any time it's called."

The PNM has begun screening nominees for the 19 constituencies it does not represent in Parliament. The division of seats in the House of Representatives is 22:19 in the PNM's favour.

The UNC invited nominations for candidates in February and closed them in May.

The party has not started screening yet.

To date, there is no tangible evidence to suggest the election will be called before its due date next August. Under the law, the Prime Minister has until next November to call the election.

The PNM called snap elections in 1995 and 2010, and lost on both occasions.

Its leader Dr Rowley has publicly maintained that the election will be called when it is due.

But at public PNM meetings within recent months, Rowley has urged party supporters to be in ready for the election.