Couva North constituents: No Ramdial, no vote

SOME Couva North constituents on Friday demanded that UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar reverse her decision to reject former MP Ramona Ramdial as the party's Couva North candidate.

They staged a small protest in Orange Valley, Couva. to express their disappointment over Ramdial's rejection.

Nazeema Ramdeo said Ramdial helped her and her family, when her son Shiva and six other fishermen from the community were murdered at sea last year. Ramdeo said July 22 will mark one year since the murders happened.

She said Ramdial was always there to help her family. Ramdeo appealed to Persad-Bissessar to "bring her (Ramdial) back please." Ramdeo said she could not support UNC Couva North candidate Ravi Ratiram.

"I don't want him. I know nothing about his character." At this point, the other people waved placards showing their support for Ramdial and shouted "No Ramona, No vote."

Kelvin Rajkumar said, "The politicians taking the people on the ground for granted."

He said while Ramdial visited the community daily last year when the seven fishermen were murdered, Persad-Bissessar never came.

"We have not hear Mrs Kamla say anything up to now." Rajkumar was unfazed by the fact that Couva North is a UNC electoral stronghold. He maintained that unless Ramdial was the candidate, he and many of his friends will not vote for the party on August 10.

"I will stay home."

Sangeeta Sooknanan agreed. "They will not get my vote."