Volney looks into election crystal ball

FORMER PP minister Herbert Volney said he is betting on the PNM, ILP and UNC to win in three constituencies in the August 10 general election.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Volney said, "I have my horses in the races in St Joseph, Lopinot, and Mayaro." In a previous post, Volney said he is backing Health Minister and PNM St Joseph candidate Terrence Deyalsingh to retain St Joseph. The post had a video clip of Volney walking with Deyalsingh in the constituency.

In another post, Volney said he supports former cabinet colleague Jack Warner to win Lopinot/Bon Air West. Warner, who is ILP founder, filed his nomination papers for the constituency on July 17. Volney has also said he supports UNC Mayaro candidate Rushton Paray to win that seat.

He said, "What the UNC does in the Lopinot constituency will likely determine whether or not the PNM returns to the corridors of power." Volney said should Warner be left to fight PNM candidate Marvin Gonzales on his own," he will likely prevail."

On July17, UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar maintained that the party will form no coalition with any other political party contesting the election. She also ruled out a coalition with any party should the UNC fail to win sufficient seats to form a government.

Persad-Bissessar was also unable to confirm or deny claims that former UNC candidate Triston Bonterre was associated with Warner. On July 13, the UNC announced it had replaced Bonterre with Prakash Williams as its Lopinot/ Bon Air West candidate. On July 17, Warner also ruled out any alliance with the UNC for the election, as he acknowledged the challenge from Williams for Lopinot/Bon Air West.

Volney predicted "a cliffhanger" in Tobago East between PNM candidate Ayanna Webster-Roy and PDP leader Watson Duke. He also predicted the UNC's Saddam Hosein losing to the PNM's Jason Williams in Barataria/San Juan.

He said should this happen, "it will likely be down to the wire in Moruga/Tableland." Volney did not anticipate the election result being declared late on August 10. But he said should the UNC win St Joseph and retain Barataria/San Juan, this can give a clear indication of "where the electorate is going this election."

Volney said it is difficult to see the UNC winning Tunapuna. He claimed a UNC victory in Tunapuna hinged on the party being able to wrest Toco/Sangre Grande away from the PNM. But Volney added, "If the pendulum holds in two of these constituencies for the PNM, it will hold on to government."

In another post on Sunday, Volney said "sufficiently educated" voters are not interested in "in idle promises like 50,000 new and sustainable jobs" from the UNC. As a member of Persad-Bissessar's former government, Volney said, "I know the desires in the heart of this UNC party and cannot on past record support it." Volney urged all "independent unaligned voters to reject this aberration in 2020." Persad-Bissessar fired Volney in September 2012 over the Section 34 controversy.