Battle begins for Laventille West

Candidates for Laventille West are calling on constituents to choose wisely at the polls on August 10 as they vie for the seat, each outlining their own objectives and goals if elected.

Gathering at the Malick Youth Facility, Barataria, on Friday morning, representatives for the PNM, UNC and NOW filed their nomination papers and appealedfor support from the community.

UNC candidate Rodney Stowe said although it had been held for decades by the PNM, he was optimistic that the people of Laventille West were ready to make a change in leadership and slammed the PNM for what he considered years of neglect.

Stowe, who was an adviser to the PNM for the 2015 general election, said he left the party when he felt it promoted self over service in the community.

He also accused PNM representatives of being complacent in Laventille and feeling they did not have to work hard to earn votes and support from their constituents.

His political transition, he said, "has been very smooth for me, because at the end of the day the PNM has done nothing for Laventille and it's been going on so for a while. My brother came home after 18 years and walked Laventille like he never left. So that was a point of concern for me because you can't go to Westmoorings today and recognise it tomorrow, because something is always developing.

"Nothing is developing in Laventille, not even the youths are developing. We're just leaving it as it is because it's a PNM stronghold."

Stowe said he felt he had a strong following of supporters and his policies were drafted with youth empowerment in mind, something he said had been absent from Laventille West for decades.

PNM candidate Fitzgerald Hinds arrived at the facility minutes after Stowe completed the nomination process.

Speaking with Newsday, Hinds contended that several social and infrastructural projects have assisted families in the constituency and was optimistic about his ability to retain the seat, saying he would "flatten" the opposition.

"We have made great strides. Some of the places we visited yesterday which would have been tracks five years ago are now proper roads.

"We will continue the development, Laventille doesn't have a lot of physical opportunities foer the development of industries like you see in Point Lisas and Carenage, but we have spirit."

Hinds also noted that the legalisation of small quantities of marijuana has freed several constituents who would have otherwise remained imprisoned at remand facilities.

Leader of the Nationwide Organisation of We the People (NOW) Kirk Waithe said one of his long-term goals if elected MP would be ending dependency on the government by promoting sustainable development through microenterprise.

He said despite being a relatively recent addition to the political arena, he has always maintained close ties with communities in Laventille and Beetham, and called on supporters to take the election seriously.

"We want to break the dependency syndrome in these communities. We know more than handouts, the young people in these areas want opportunities to be able to provide for themselves. My company in the Beetham has even employed some of the youths there.

"I want to see the aquaponics systems set up in Laventille that would give them more financial independence and reduce their reliance on the government."

Waithe said even if he did not secure the seat in the election he would continue to work with the people of Laventille and whoever was willing to partner with his organisation.