Couva North constituents want to meet Kamla

SOME Couva North constituents are calling for an urgent meeting with UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to reverse the decision to select Ravi Ratiram as UNC Couva North candidate and replace him with former Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial.

Last week, there were two small protests by constituents in Orange Valley and Carapichaima calling for Ramdial to be selected as Couva North candidate. They declared they would not vote for the UNC in the August 10 general election if Ramdial is not the candidate.

In an e-mail on Monday, spokesperson of the group Rajesh Rattan said the group wanted Persad-Bissessar to meet with them either Monday or Tuesday. Rattan explained the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the reasons why reconsideration of Ramdial's candidacy for Couva North "is essential to the campaign of the UNC and winning the 2020 general election."

Saying Persad-Bissessar is "a champion for unprecedented change" as TT's first female prime minister and the UNC's first female political leader, Rattan said, "She can be the first to champion the evolution of politics in TT to more directly involve the people in the business of running the country via its legislature when she is elected as our next prime minister."

When contacted, Rattan said the party had not responded as yet to the group's request for a meeting.

The e-mail was sent to Persad-Bissessar. It was also copied to UNC general secretary Dave Tancoo and UNC chairman Peter Kanhai. Tancoo said he had not seen the e-mail but was aware of the request for a meeting. He said the party would engage with the constituents but he added the screening committee had already decided that Ratiram would contest Couva North.

Tancoo saw a change in candidate being unlikely at this time.

UNC sources also said while some constituents are calling for Ramdial's return, others are endorsing Ratiram's candidacy. "It goes both ways" one source said.

At a meeting hosted by Ummah TT Muslim Federation in Felicity on Sunday, Persad-Bissessar defended the party's decisions to select the 39 candidates it has to contest the election. As she noted calls from UNC members for younger people, Persad-Bissessar observed there was disappointment when these choices were made. She said, "Who vex loss."

Persad-Bissessar said the younger candidates who were chosen had "stayed faithful and loyal to the party” during its darkest time when it lost the September 7, 2015 general election. "Now is there time." She promised there would be "a place and space" for former UNC MPs in a new UNC government. But she added the UNC had to win the election first. Ramdial has also urged her former constituents to support Persad-Bissessar and Ratiram as the Couva North candidate.

Ramdial has urged her former constituents to support Persad-Bissessar and Ratiram as the Couva North candidate. "I urge my (former) constituents to accept the decision of the UNC party and political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. "We need to unite to beat the PNM."

Newsday understands that Ramdial is assisting UNC La Horquetta/Talparo candidate Jearlean John with her campaign.