MSJ leader Abdulah has to vote for opponent

IT is difficult being the leader of one political party but having to vote for an opposing party simply because yours did not field a candidate in the constituency in which you live.

That is the predicament David Abdulah, leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) found himself in on election day.

Abdulah lives in Caroni Central and the three candidates contesting this seat are Arnold Ram for the United National Congress (UNC) candidate, Reyad Ali, contesting for the People’s National Movement, or Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Lorena Lucien.

Abdulah, who has been knocking on the political doors for the past ten years, had intentions of fielding a full slate of candidates, but in this year, when covid19 has affected everything around the globe, his plan was not spared.

While he had misgivings about voting, because the constituency in which he lives had three of his opponents racing to occupy Caroni Central, one of the 41 seats up for grabs in the Parliament, Abdulah said, “I could not be asking people to vote and I did not take part in the democratic process.”

A release with the names, time and polling station where the other four MSJ candidates were scheduled to vote was sent to the media on Saturday. Confirmation of Abdulah’s decision to do his civic duty did not come until mid-morning on election day. He voted at Preysal Community Centre around 11.20 am.

Interviewed afterwards, Abdulah who is contesting the Pointe-a-Pierre seat, said the MSJ election machinery was in full gear and the process was smooth.

Two hours before the polls closed, MSJ’s general secretary Ozzi Warwick was upbeat. Warwick said he had physically been on the ground from Diego Martin Central, where Renee St Rose contested, to Point Fortin, where the candidate was Ernesto Kesar, La Brea in support of Marlon Greaves and in Fyzabad, where its second female candidate, Radhaka Gualbance, was hoping to take the MSJ into the Parliament.

“So far the feedback is smooth. There are long lines, the voter turnout is high. There is a lot of excitement in all the camps I visited so far. Lots of people the candidates would have met during the campaign came out and voted. We wait for the results and hear what the electorate had to say.”

Warwick believes the closure of Petrotrin in the constituencies of Fyzabad, La Brea, Point Fortin and Pointe-a-Pierre would have influenced a high voter turnout.