Why the UNC lost the election

THE EDITOR: I consider myself among the 30 per cent of TT nationals who have no tabanca for any political party. I hold no party card and I vote across party lines. I vote for who I believe is best suited to lead our country.

This time I stayed home, I decided that no party was worthy of me staining my finger. However, I am surprised that the UNC supporters are shocked and devastated that they lost. The PNM even won the popular vote. Since the UNC executive has not enlightened its supporters as to why the party lost, let me do so.

For any party to win a general election it needs to win seats along the east-west corridor. In order to win these seats Afro-Trinis need to come out in large numbers and vote for a specific political party, which they did in 2010 and which is why the UNC won.

When you have fanatical party supporters before the election spouting virulent racist talk and no one in the UNC executive speaking out about it, that party is bound to lose. Where were the voices of Jearlean John, Michelle Benjamin, Rodney Charles, Monifa Russell Andrews, Kareem Baird, Rodney Stowe, Maurice Hoyte, Kenya Charles, Nabila Greene, Darren Garner, and others?

So while UNC supporters were talking about them on social media, their silence to someone like me meant they were not for country but for self.

Then there were Afro-Trinis questioning why they should put an X by the Rising Sun? Kamla Persad-Bissessar kept apologising on the platform when what she should have been saying is “all of us are one.” What she should have done is openly condemn racism in any form, especially the racism coming from the mouths of her supporters.

Looking forward to 2025, the UNC must learn from its mistakes. It will never win another general election under Persad-Bissessar as leader. It must have the majority of the Afro-Trini vote along the east-west corridor to win. It needs them more than they need the UNC.

Therefore the party must condemn the race talk, calm fears and give the masses something positive to believe in.

KELLI COOMBS

via e-mail