Keen contest in Tunapuna/Piarco

PARTY candidates and officials promised a keen contest in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC) on Nomination Day on Monday.

In the December 2 local government election, nationwide the PNM and UNC will woo a million-plus electorate to vie for 139 seats in 14 corporations.

In 2016 the PNM won 12 and the UNC won four seats in TPRC, but since then one more new seat has been created.

Both main parties gave the thumbs up to the nomination process, but each side touted both their policies and their chances in the polls.

The PNM in the area spoke to Newsday through Dennis Lorde, campaign manager for TPRC head Paul Leacock.

“The nomination procedure went smoothly in all districts," Lorde said.

“This morning (Monday) the PNM filed nominations for all seats in the TPRC, with incumbent chairman councillor Leacock returning for another term in the Bon Air/Arouca/Cane Farm district.”

Lorde recalled last Monday’s dry run ahead for candidates to be checked out by Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials.

“Today (Monday), PNM supporters were mobilised to support the candidates returning to office with the intention to retain control of the TPRC. In all our districts each candidate went with their campaign teams, largely including the six electors required to sign his/her nomination form.”

Lorde said Arouca/Maloney MP Camille Robinson-Regis visited all TPRC candidates whose electoral districts also fell within her constituency.

“We successfully served our burgesses in the last two terms with the limited resources available. We had to be creative and come up with cost-effective solutions to alleviate the issues raised by burgesses.”

Lorde said those solutions included creating public-private partnerships, most spectacularly a partnership with La Horquetta Rangers for the renovation of the La Horquetta Phase Two grounds.

UNC deputy leader Khadijah Ameen said nomination day had gone "extremely well," with nominations filed by all candidates presented at Sunday’s UNC rally.

In the TPRC area, UNC candidate for Auzonville/Tunapuna Nneka Daniel told Newsday, “The EBC was extremely professional, very efficient and thorough.”

Asked what voters were telling her, she said, “In a nutshell people are complaining they have no money. Many households may have had three people working but now have half of an income coming in. That’s the reality!” Saying TT is full of love, she said, “We must give hope again and re-instil values our parents taught us.”

Tunapuna UNC constituency chairman Hamlyn Jailal told Newsday the process had been “very smooth, clinical and very successful.”

He was awaiting the EBC's list of polling station locations for the TPRC, due in a few days.

Jailal said he was campaign manager for Prakash Bharath, former councillor, who is targeting the Caura/Paradise/Tacarigua seat held by the PNM’s Aaron Thomas whose 2016 retention of the seat was hailed by the Prime Minister on election night.

UNC candidate for Maracas/Santa Margarita, Peter Nero, said the area was full of nature trails whose safety should be ensured so as to create a sports tourism industry. “Maracas Waterfall is in a dilapidated state.” He hoped to educate residents on how local government affects them. His campaign manager Roxanne Hernandez said voters’ main complaints were about garbage, drainage, unemployment and a cut in social programmes such as food cards and a care grant to parents of cystic fibrosis patients.