Political analysts: This is no snap election

THE Prime Minister did not call a snap election.

This was the consensus amongst political analyst Dr Winford James, North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) pollster Dr Vishnu Bisram and former government minister Mariano Browne on Friday about Dr Rowley’s announcement in Parliament that the general election will be held on August 10.

Recalling the PNM lost in 1995 and 2010 when then prime minister Patrick Manning called early elections, James said this was not the case now with Rowley. With all of its 41 candidates chosen and its election machinery in full gear for weeks, James said August 10 was “a sensible date” to hold the election.

“The date allows the Prime Minister to take advantage of his proper handling of covid19.”

James observed that the PNM has been praised from many quarters for the steps it has taken to protect the population from the pandemic.

He did not think the August 10 date puts the UNC at a disadvantage in terms of candidate selection. The UNC has selected 17 of the 39 candidates it will field for the election. James said a month was sufficient time for the party to choose candidates for the remaining seats it will contest.

He said Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, who is in Florida, may pose a challenge for the UNC if he cannot return to TT before nomination day on July 17.

James also believed the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) will be well prepared to conduct the election, against the background of public health regulations to prevent the spread of covid19. Recalling that legal precedent was set after the September 7, 2015 general election regarding voting times, James said there is time for the EBC to work out the election logistics with stakeholders.

Bisram, said the PNM has scored “very, very positive ratings” for its handling of covid19. He also said given the protests which happened earlier in the week, Rowley may have thought “it is better to go now.” Bisram also recalled that Manning called the 2010 election two and a half years ahead of time.

Bisram said August 10 is not a snap election. “This is political strategy. Not a knee-jerk reaction.”

He estimated the PNM and UNC have 17 and 15 safe seats respectively. Bisram also said smaller parties could prove to be spoilers in marginal seats, pulling more UNC than PNM votes.

Browne said the election is no snap poll and is being held now because there is no good news to report in the economy. Neither the PNM nor the UNC has proven they could manage the economy better,he said.

Former government minister Kevin Ramnarine believed the economy will be the main focus of the election, followed by crime. He said the PNM has to defend why there was no economic growth from 2016 to now. It was good for the election to be held, he said, because people need “to believe that tomorrow will be better than today.”