Fabien: Third parties in election squeeze

INDEPENDENT candidate for St Joseph in Monday's general election Errol Fabien said the harsh truth is that third parties were not succeeding against TT’s two main parties, he told Newsday on Tuesday at the St Joseph community centre.

He was present for the Election and Boundary Commission’s (EBC's) recount for that constituency, as requested by United National Congress (UNC) candidate Ahloy Hunt after the win by the People's National Movement (PNM) candidate Terrence Deyalsingh.

Asked what he was expecting of the exercise, Fabien said, “Well I’m just curious to see what is there. I believe in the EBC and I trust the EBC and their processes and the people who work there.

“If there was a call for a recount as there was and I am invited to witness it, I’m just following through.”

Newsday asked about the poor showing of third parties on Monday.

He replied, “The electorate sent a very clear message that they are content to keep the status quo as it is in the politics. We have to accept that.

“The electorate has spoken. No matter how much we intellectualise and see and understand the need for third and fourth voices in our environment, and assemble a set of citizens who are interested in making life better for the other citizens no matter how much we feel strongly about that, the electorate has spoken.”

Should independent candidates and third parties now instead change into single-issue pressure groups instead trying to break into TT’s Westminster-style election system?

Fabien replied, “Well the thing is I support a number of different single-issue advocate entities and energies in the country and I will continue to do so.

“My personal thing is to continue to talk to school children about substance abuse. I’ve been doing this for 25 years-plus, averaging two schools a month, and I’m going to continue doing that.

“But when that election bell rings, I can’t help but jump in to action to try to get in to a place where my voice would be louder and my power greater and my service wider.”

Fabien said there was still need for advocacy for electoral reform, saying, “We need a new governance system.”