Don’t count out Barry

DON’T count out Princes Town MP Barry Padarath or any of the other incumbents in the United National Congress (UNC), except those who have said they won’t seek re-election. So said the party’s deputy political leader Dr David Lee.

Lee said mounting speculation about the UNC wanting to “offload” some sitting MPs who may be a bit “heavy” to carry into the 2020 general election and beyond, is merely “hearsay and conjecture.” “There is a lot of political mischief afoot.”

He said Padarath, who is in Florida, has enquired about being screened, but the committee has not yet met to decide whether or not a virtual screening will take place. But Lee said, “We have done two virtual screenings already. With technology, anything is possible. This covid19 situation has changed the dynamics.

“So don’t count out Barry. As a matter of fact, I don’t think you can count out any of the 18 MPs that are sitting in the Parliament.” Lee, the Pointe-a-Pierre MP, is one of three of the 18 UNC MPs screened so far, but said this does not mean he is sitting easy.

“I have been screened, but no announcement has been made by the political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar with respect to my seat. Pointe-a-Pierre, Fyzabad and Naparima seats have been screened, but that does not mean we are going back. Anything can happen in this silly season. The dynamics could change in an instant,” he said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Three MPs, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Dr Surujrattan Rambachan and Ganga Singh, have already said they will not seek re-election. There are question marks over the re-selection of MPs Dr Roodal Moonilal (Oropouche East), Ramona Ramdial (Couva North) and Christine Newallo-Hosein (Cumuto-Manzanilla).

Former Rio Claro Mayaro chairman Glen Ram is said to be a shoo-in for Cumuto-Manzanilla, but some say he is unsuitable given his past brush with the law. Because the UNC will be preparing for two heavy debates in the Parliament this week, Lee said there will be no screenings.

Neither will any new candidates be announced, as its Thursday-night virtual meeting has been put on hold because of the observance of Corpus Christi. Even though the UNC has been calling for an early election and said it is prepared should the Prime Minister dissolve the Parliament and announce a date before September, the UNC has announced only ten candidates to date.

The People’s National Movement (PNM) has announced 21, but is experiencing challenges in some of its stronghold constituencies such as La Brea, Toco/Sangre Grande, Lopinot/Bon Air West and Mayaro.

Asked how the late announcement of candidates will affect the UNC’s campaign, given the physical distance and no-large-gathering measures, along with a trend of new young candidates being put forward, Lee said he did not think this was going to be an issue.