MSJ candidate: 'We are the voice of reason'

Ernesto Kesar, Movement for Social Justice candidate for Point Fortin, says the party is needed as a "balance between the two juggernauts,” the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC).

“There must be somebody in that Parliament that represents the voice of reason.”

During an online political meeting on Wednesday night, Kesar said he is not oblivious to the narrative that TT is a two-party state and the fight is between the yellow and the red.

“But I am not afraid of anything that has flesh. We are fighting spiritual wickedness in high places, and once we put our faith and trust in Almighty God, once it is His will, nothing can stop this man."

He argued, “We don’t want 41 seats, we just want to or three seats to provide balance in that craziness that sometimes is the Parliament.”

Kesar is one of five candidates announced by MSJ leader David Abdulah to contest the general election. Abdulah is contesting the Pointe-a-Pierre seat.

Kesar is also one of the oil workers displaced by the closure of state-owned Petrotrin in 2018.

“What happened to 5,942 workers and their families is the single most unfortunate, misguided, misrepresented and calculated attack by any group of worker by the State, “ he said as he called on many former colleagues tuned in to his live broadcast to never forget this.

He said it was a political decision and only a political position could help to correct this wrong.

“What was done to these workers has already been done and nothing could fix the pain, pressure, humiliation and condemnation we face.”

He said because of propaganda that all oil workers went home with over $500,000, they have been ostracised and victimised, yet many still don’t have food to put on their tables.

However, he asked them to be of courage as very soon, registration will begin for people to work in the refinery as the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) Patriotic Energies and Technologies Company is very close to acquiring the defunct Petrotrin refinery.

President general of the OWTU Ancel Roget said on Labour Day that the company had satisfied all Government’s requirements and as it gets into the refurbishment and turnaround phase to prepare the refinery for restart, approximately 4,500 jobs will be created.

Kesar warned former workers who may be thinking that if they do not vote for the PNM Patriotic could lose the refinery and they would have no jobs. He told them to think again.

There is a three-way fight for the Point Fortin constituency, considered a PNM stronghold. The PNM has dropped the incumbent, Edmund Dillon, and replaced him with mayor Kennedy Richards Jr. The UNC's choice is Tarhaqa Obika.