[UPDATED] PANDAYS BOW OUT

LESS than a month after announcing that her father, former prime minister Basdeo Panday, was to be the party’s campaign manager for the 2020 general election, Patriotic Front (PF) political leader Mickela Panday threw in the towel on Tuesday, announcing that the fledgling party won’t be contesting any of the 41 seats in the August 10 polls.

She made the announcement three days before Nomination Day (July 17), when all candidates contesting the election will file their nomination papers.

On Thursday June 25, at a news conference at the party’s office in Chaguanas, Mickela announced the PF will contest all 41 seats in the election.

At that time, party sources told Newsday that her father was keeping a promise he made to Mickela that he would actively help out if she decided to face the polls. On his role in the party, on June 25, an upbeat Mickela said, “His role at this moment is, he is the campaign manager.” She said her father had “enough experience” at fighting elections to give the party the advice it needs. Flash forward 20 days later, and Mickela was announcing that the party was out of the running.

She said while the PF had signalled its intention to run for election on June 25, the Prime Minister’s sudden announcement of the election date on July 3 made it impossible for the party to run the kind of campaign it wanted to.

She said given the “overwhelming support” the PF had received before Dr Rowley announced the election date, the party believed that contesting all 41 constituencies “was an achievable task.” Apart from being a former PM, Panday is also the founder of the UNC and his daughter a former UNC MP.

But since the election date was announced, Panday said the PF has faced “an uphill battle in obtaining campaign financing in an accountable and transparent manner, which is necessary to put in place the requisite election machinery.”

While the PF was given a variety of options and approached by other politicians about contesting the election, she said, “We needed to stay true to the principles and foundations upon which our party was built.” Hence the “difficult” decision not to contest the election. The party was founded by Mickela on May 25, 2019.

In an interview, she said there had no talks between the PF and UNC about an election coalition. Panday said from its inception, “It has always been the PF’s policy to bring meaningful representation to the people of TT.” The party believed, she said, “this begins by giving a voice to those in every constituency who have been seeking real change.”

The PF, she stressed, “was not born merely to fight elections, it was born to restructure the society.” She said the party remains committed to bringing new politics to TT which does not tell lies, malign or mudsling anyone. Panday said the PF would never say things to curry political favour, gain political power or make empty promises to the electorate.

She reiterated it was never been the PF’s intention to split anyone’s vote. But she said the PF’s intention is to appeal to the 50 per cent of registered and unregistered voters who do not vote at all. Panday said the PF’s decision not to contest the election was not a sign of surrender or defeat.

“We haven’t given up. We are in this struggle for the long haul to build a better TT,” she said. While the PF is not contesting the election, Panday urged all patriots “to join us in every constituency as we forge forward.” She vowed that the PF will become “a socio-political force to be reckoned with.”

Apart from the two main parties – the ruling PNM and Opposition UNC – other main parties contesting the general election are the MSJ led by David Abdulah, the PDP led by THA Minority Leader and PSA president Watson Duke, the NNV led by one-time PNM candidate aspirant Fuad Abu Bakr, the PEP led by Phillip Edward Alexander and the COP led by Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan.

This story was originally published with the title "Pandays' party out of election" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

THE Patriotic Front on Tuesday announced that it will not contest the August 10 general election.

Party leader Mickela Panday made the announcement three days before Nomination Day (July 17), when all candidates contesting the election will file their nomination papers.

Panday said while the PF had signalled its intention to run for election on June 25, the Prime Minister's sudden announcement of the election date on July 3 had made it impossible for the party to run the campaign it wanted to.

She said given the overwhelming support the PF had received before Dr Rowley announced the election date, the party believed that contesting all 41 constituencies "was an achievable task." Its campaign manager was to be Panday's father, former prime minister and UNC founder Basdeo Panday. Mickela is also a former UNC MP.

But since the election date was announced, Panday said the PF has faced "an uphill battle in obtaining campaign financing in an accountable and transparent manner, which is necessary to put in place the requisite election machinery." While the PF was given a variety of options and approached by other politicians about contesting the election, she said, "We needed to stay true to the principles and foundations upon which our party was built."

Hence the "difficult" decision not to contest the election.

In an interview, Panday said there had no talks between the PF and UNC about an election coalition.

Panday said from its inception, "I has always been the PF's policy to bring meaningful representation to the people of TT."

The party believed, she said, " this begins by giving a voice to those in every constituency who have been seeking real change."

The PF, she stressed, "was not born merely to fight elections, it was born to restructure our society." She said the party remained committed to bringing a new politics to TT which does not tell lies, malign or mudsling anyone.

Panday said the PF would never say things to curry political favour, gain political power or make empty promises to the electorate.

She reiterated it was never been the PF's intention to split anyone's vote. But she said the PF's intention is to appeal to the 50 per cent of registered and unregistered voters who do not vote at all.

Panday said the PF's decision not to contest the election is not a sign of surrender or defeat.

"We haven't given up. We are in this struggle for the long haul to build a better TT."

While the PF is not contesting the election, Panday urged all patriots "to join us in every constituency as we forge forward." She vowed that the PF will become "a socio-political force to be reckoned with."