Griffith: No safe seats for PNM

NTA leader Gary Griffith said the PNM will have no safe seats or safe councils in the August 14 local government elections due to strong challenges his party will make in areas the PNM had lost in the 2010 local elections such as Arima, speaking to Newsday on Thursday.

He promised an unmatched slate of candidates including former national footballers Kenwyne Jones, Ross Russell and Keron "Ball Pest" Cummings.

Griffith said up to recently the PNM had thought it had six corporations in the bag, with six likewise set to go to the UNC, with the PNM only needing to make an effort in two, Sangre Grande and San Fernando. However he said the NTA's input has now put the PNM on the defensive in several areas hitherto regarded as safe seats and safe corporations. "Just think of this like a theatre of war. The PNM were going to utilise most of their 'artillery' and resources in Sangre Grande and San Fernando because in their minds the other six corporations won by the UNC could not be won (by the PNM) so they've given up on that and they thought that six corporations that they presently hold were safe. So there was no need to put any effort in any of those corporations and just put the focus on San Fernando to make sure they do not lose it and Sangre Grande to make sure they win it."

That had changed, he said, as the NTA's input now meant the PNM was forced to reallocate its resources to defend itself in areas previously deemed safe.

He claimed vulnerable PNM areas were Diego Martin, Port of Spain, Tunapuna/Piarco, San Juan/Laventille, Arima, and Point Fortin.

"When last you hear Keith Rowley start a campaign in the heart of PNM territory, in St James tonight? That says a lot."

Likewise he said the PNM had cancelled a town meeting feature a council candidate plus the police, in east-west the corridor which was usually a safe PNM area.

He said the PNM now feared a repeat of 2010 where it had lost corporations at Tunapuna/Piarco, Arima, Diego Martin and San Fernando.

Griffith boasted of the quality of the NTA slate, including a former mayor (Ghassan "Gus" Youssef), former ex tempo champion Philip "Black Sage" Murray, plus former aldermen Paul Nahous and Joseph Lewis.

"I challenge the PNM to put anything remotely close to that. We try to get the best minds together - sport, culture, entertainment - to develop the country."

Newsday asked if the accommodation partners had weakened their chances of getting aldermen places on each corporation by registering separately at the EBC and splitting their tally of the popular vote used to allocate aldermen.

He said the design of the alderman system was messy and made it hard for third parties to be allocated places, but said the parties had considered it all but had looked at the bigger picture of trying to win seats and corporations.

Asked about defectors, Griffith said a defector was someone who had sought to be a candidate in a party, been rejected and then sulked off to elsewhere.

He said the NTA had no defectors, but rather had two alderman nominees who were past PNM aldermen who had served their terms, left politics and now rejoined. "They are not defectors."

Newsday asked about his relationship with UNC head Kamla Persad-Bissessar who had once axed him from her Cabinet.

Griffith said did not view past events as any divorce or falling out that now needed any kiss-and-make-up or any marriage of convenience.

"If there was a decision eight years ago to change persons in their ministerial capacities, I don't see that as a fallout-out at all.

"There was never animosity, bitterness or hatred between me and the UNC. There may have been differences of opinion."

He said Dr Rowley had recruited several ministers from the Cabinet of the late Patrick Manning who had been at loggerheads with him.

Griffith said he has always had good communications with the PNM and UNC.