Election fever – hundreds vie for local government seats

HUNDREDS of candidates in 14 corporations across Trinidad on Monday filed forms on nomination day for 141 seats in the August 14 local government elections.

Speaking to Newsday at 7.30 pm, after the 9 am-12 noon period for filing, Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) corporate communications officer Bobbi Rogers said she was still receiving information from some 55 returning officers spread across Trinidad.

Newsday asked if there had been any disruptions such as power cuts or rejections of prospective candidates.

She replied, "At this point in time there wasn't anything like that, to our knowledge.

"Nobody gave us any indication of anything of that nature."

Up to that point, she said about six people had filed as independent candidates, although that number could rise as more data came in from several outstanding areas.

The PNM has urged voters to turn out to show support for its plan of local government reform, including devolution of certain powers from central government to corporations, creating executive committees to be run by full-time councillors and using the property tax as a self-funding mechanism for councils.

The UNC and several smaller opposition parties have urged voters to use the occasion to express their frustration at issues such as bad roads, unemployment, food prices and rampant crime. Other parties include the PEP, NTA and PDP.

The PNM and UNC enter this election evenly balanced in terms of the number of councils they control, seven each. The 2019 local government elections saw 372,503 votes cast, out of 1,079,976 registered voters, from which the UNC won the popular vote with 202,584 votes or 54 per cent of votes cast.

The PNM presented its prospective candidates at a convention at NAPA, Port of Spain, on Sunday, while the UNC presented at Naparima College, San Fernando on Monday night. The PEP and NTA held news briefings on Monday evening to present theirs, while PDP head Watson Duke presented two PDP candidates (Safraz Ali and Joanne Hoyte for San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation) in an online broadcast earlier on Monday.

At 7 pm, media houses received a PNM statement saying the party had successfully filed nominations for 141 PNM candidates.

"Seventy-six men and 65 women, of varied ages, religious beliefs, professions, and levels of experience have offered themselves to be of service to their home communities as the PNM readies itself to roll out the major improvements to the system of local governance that are synonymous with local government reform.

"The PNM therefore has in place a PNM standard-bearer in every single electoral district across the 14 municipalities in Trinidad as viable and credible options for the electorate. The PNM remains committed to providing good and solid governance at every level to all of the people of TT."

One of the most hotly contested areas will be Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC.)

UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo said based on public feedback he was "extremely confident" of retaining the corporation by support from citizens who under the PNM Government had suffered "empty promises and empty pots."

He said, "People are fed up of the PNM distractions and bacchanal.

"People want accountability, transparency and delivery of solutions to the daily issues confronting them, and they can only get that from the UNC."

Toco/Sangre Grande MP Roger Monroe told Newsday, "As co-ordinator for the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, I am pleased with the confidence and the reception all our candidates are receiving." He said a PNM-run SGRC would better co-ordinate with him as MP to better the lives of residents.

NTA leader, former police commissioner Gary Griffith, presented 31 candidates in Port of Spain in an accord with the UNC and MND.

PEP leader Phillip Edward Alexander presented 61 candidates of his party in alliance with the Re-United Farmers Alliance at PEP headquarters in Port of Spain.

These included PEP chairman Felicia Holder, and two deputy leaders Akile Camps and Marissa Persad.

The COP issued a statement saying it would not offer any candidates.

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, supporting UNC candidates for the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC), said residents' historic mistrust of the PNM had made that corporation a political fortress for the UNC.

Accusing the PNM Government of non-performance, he said, "Nothing has changed. For eight years, they cannot open the Ramai Trace Hindu School, which was 95 per cent completed. The people do not take kindly to a political party that treats them with that level of contempt."

PEP candidate Stephen Dookhran, who is hearing-impaired, told Newsday he wished to represent all people with disabilities in vying for a seat on the PDRC.

"But it is not just about disabilities. It is for both hearing and people with disabilities.

"We are all equal. I want to roll up my sleeves and get the work done for the best of the community of TT."

The feel on the ground was a mix of new candidates and past councillors, including at the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC.)

First-timers whom Newsday met at the El Dorado Community Centre included the PNM's John-Boyd Briggs (Auzonville/Tunapuna) and Trudel Noreiga (Maracas/Santa Margarita) and at the UTT Valsayn Campus, the PNM's Aviea Isaac (Valsayn/St Joseph.)

Also at UTT was UNC first-timer Kamla Phagoo (Kelly Village/Warrenville.)

Several UNC veterans were seen. Prakash Bharath (incumbent for Caura/Paradise/Tacarigua) led a contingent from his Caura Road office to file his form at Tacarigua Community Centre at Bally Trace, Tacarigua.

UNC incumbents Richard Rampersad and Seema Ramsaran-Augustine returned to contest their seats of St Augustine South/Piarco//St Helena and Valsayn/St Joseph.

Rampersad told Newsday, “I’m very excited, because once successful – and I have all confidence that I would be – this would be my second term as councillor for this district, and I think one good term deserves another. I’m excited to hit the ground and continue the good work I would have started.”

Newsday met Energy Minister Stuart Young in Port of Spain.

He said, "Our PNM people are here, we are in place and waiting in line. Parties are still looking for candidates, but that is their problem. We are red and ready."

The OWTU office on Henry Street, Port of Spain, was the scene of friendly banter between PNM former minister Marlene Mc Donald and UNC Senator Wade Mark as their respective candidates filed.

Mc Donald jibed, "We don’t pick up candidates the night before and then bring them down and dust them off and put them to confuse the returning officers' office.”

Mark responded, "All you can’t pay me. You could pay me a trillion dollars, I ain't leaving!”