Cudjoe happy with PNM’s election strategies in Tobago

Tobago West MP-elect Shamfa Cudjoe said the PNM Tobago Council devised separate strategies for Tobago East and West in the August 10 general election. Speaking to Newsday on Monday, she said the PNM broke tradition for 2020 with its candidates running unique campaigns.

Cudjoe won the Tobago West seat by a landslide, earning 9,275 votes while Progressive Democratic Patriots's (PDP) Tashia Grace Burris, her nearest opponent, received 4,501. In the East, PNM's Ayanna Webster-Roy was victorious with 7,127 votes while PDP leader Watson Duke got 5,866.

"We had two different campaign teams. In the past we campaigned together. One central executive will run the campaign. This time we have a new (PNM Tobago Council) leadership in Tracy Davidson-Celestine and a new Chief Secretary. They did something different this time. Ayanna had her own team in the East and I had my own team. Before, we ran one central campaign. That's what we’re accustomed to in the past."

Cudjoe said PNM's Tobago East campaign had the backing of a number of savvy veterans while she chose to utilise youths.

"I think a lot of the experienced people were on the East. Ayanna was managed by Wendell Berkley who was a former THA secretary – seasoned people.

"Me, in the West, I decided to depend on the youth. The youths ran my campaign, a lot of them are first-time walkers, first-time voters, first-time canvassers. But I wanted the opportunity to showcase young people. Even my manager Kern Cowan, 39, it was his first time managing a campaign of this nature too. I wanted to give them experience of doing these things. A lot of people on my end were learning but I'm glad I took that chance. They gave a new and different energy to the campaign."

Cudjoe said she was able to win her seat comfortably because of her strong presence throughout her last term in office.

"The first time I was a newbie, of course, so it was about getting to know the different areas of the constituency: getting to know people, what the older voters want, what the younger voters want. The dynamic was different because we were in opposition and needing to get rid of the UNC out of government. It was about encouraging the people to choose better, speaking up for their issues.

STAYING GROUNDED

"From October 2016 I told myself I went to them for their votes so I must go back to them. Remaining in touch and remaining on the ground was helpful. I never wanted to be that representative where people say, 'I never see my MP, you only see her around election time.' I hated that."

Cudjoe said although her regular walkabouts helped maintain visibility, some constituents were displeased they did not see her campaigning in their area.

"Some places I didn't have to go back to...I knew they had seen me already so I didn't necessarily need to go see them again.

"There are some people who would have sent me a message or contacted the PNM office and say, 'She didn't come to personally ask me for my vote so I'm not voting for her.'

"That's Tobagonians. We're very touchy, feely, personable people and we like that face-to-face contact."

Cudjoe said the covid19 pandemic forced the style of campaign to shift to digital and she embraced it.

"I established a strategy to see constituents. We set-up cellphone numbers, meetings over Facebook, responding to Facebook messages and keeping that one-on-one contact."

She said meetings were videotaped and posted online and broadcast on radio etc.

"It caused us to explore new strategies but nothing beats that person-to-person contact."

PDP CHALLENGE

Recently, Cudjoe's PDP rival wished her well for the next five years but said Cudjoe needs to address the gaps in her representation which she was able to exploit.

Cudjoe responded, "No representation is perfect. She would have her opinion and the way she sees things and I would have mine. We met at the polls and people would show who they preferred. It also depends on what they think representation is. Representation is not going two weeks before election and putting roofs on people's houses. That is not representation. To try to sell that to Tobago people, that's a farce. My role is to put Tobagonians to give them access to the services Government offers. It's not my business to go and find galvanise and go up on people's roofs."

Cudjoe also hit out at what many perceived as personal attacks against her by the PDP.

On a political platform Burris said, "If this was a posing contest, I lose long time, but this is not a posing contest. This is not a contest to see who looks the prettiest in pictures because my beauty, my pretty, that is what the Lord gave me, I did not buy my complexion in a bottle. So for the sheep in red clothing on the other side, who want to question my credentials, I say to you, ‘move nah, let me pass’ because none of you can stand one minute in my shoes.”

Duke has also made comments about "bleaching" on the platform. Burris has denied her comments were directed at her PNM rival. Cudjoe was not impressed.

"I was surprised by the angle the opposition chose. As young people, young women, young brilliant Tobagonians who are expected to bring something fresh and new to the political platform, I was disappointed. It's about policy, taking people where they need to be. It's about service delivery and I wanted to hear about their policies. If you think PNM is doing things so wrong, where is your manifesto? What is your plan?

"I was disappointed to see a young, brilliant person like Tashia come on the platform being given this wonderful opportunity, but she lost focus very early and got drawn into that scorched earth type of politics. I hope she gets back on track and at the end of the day we want to see more young people in politics."

Asked if her campaign was clean, Cudjoe added, "I know every time I got on the platform I use the opportunity to shed light, to educate people and to lead Tobagonians to a better and brighter future. It was never any personal attack on my opponent, Tobagonians don't wanna hear about that."

SELF-GOV'T BILL

The PDP campaigned heavily on the Tobago Internal Self Government Bill lapsing in the last five years, with many former politicians and senior economist Dr Vanus James condemning the PNM and endorsing the PDP. Asked whether the PNM must deliver self-governance in their next term, Cudjoe said: "I think it's important to educate people that the PNM alone can't do that. You need at least 31 seats in the Lower House and you need the support of the independents and opposition in the Upper House. It's about persuading and bringing along...so we have the necessary votes to pass the bill. We will continue to purse this until it's achieved but we shouldn't fool the people to say any one person or one party can go down to Trinidad and deliver...I look forward to continuing the good work that was done. We did significant research and interacted and engaged the United Nations, European Union and other gurus around the world on the topic. I feel we have a nice, firm foundation to build on."