Grasping at straws

A brief critical LGE review

DR DEVANT MAHARAJ

THE LOCAL government electoral results maintained the status quo of the previous elections with the UNC and PNM both securing the very same municipal corporations. Essentially nothing changed beyond a few additional seats in two corporations, which still did not affect who controlled the respective corporations.

The election, however, did serve as a further indictment on the leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar as political leader of the UNC. For this election Persad-Bissessar resurrected the politically dead 80-year-old Jack Warner, whom she rejected previously. She also had an accommodation with Gary Griffith, despite her previous assertion of going it alone in 2018. And she welcomed the support of the OWTU as it openly campaigned against the PNM.

Without a doubt, Griffith energised the local government campaign with a dynamic communication strategy and an enthusiastic campaign ethic. Griffith was everywhere and, indeed, if he was the political leader of the UNC the election results could have been much better for the party.

Warner brought back to the UNC the nostalgia of 2010 and served to revitalise the UNC base with hopes and delusions of regaining political power.

The OWTU's surprising support was viewed as cracks within the traditional support base of the PNM and it was hoped that would have helped to capture the San Fernando corporation. The marginal seat of Pointe-a-Pierre failed to deliver the San Fernando Corporation, underscoring the political impotency and usefulness of MP David Lee.

Despite these strategic alliances the UNC made no significant inroads in the east-west corridor, or the western peninsular and could not capture the coveted municipal corporation of San Fernando. Many felt that the PNM's proverbial back was against the ropes and yet Persad-Bissessar failed to deliver the knockout blow despite punching with heavyweights like Warner and Griffith in her corner.

The fearmongering playing on increased crime, poor infrastructure, rising food prices, and declining healthcare services all were working in favour of the UNC campaign. Yet the population did not respond, and it is self-evident that Persad-Bissessar has lost the trust of enough of the electorate to be successful in any elections in the future.

The UNC grasping at straws will no doubt project the results of this local elections as some sort of perverted victory where it stresses the few increases in seats and votes in an attempt to jump-start political momentum for the 2025 general election. The fact will stubbornly remain that nothing has changed with who controlled the respective corporations last week and who controls them this week.

While the PNM will obviously use these election results to recognise and attempt to fix whatever concerns the electorate has, the UNC will refuse to make the hard but only choice of removing Persad-Bissessar as political leader if it wants to capitalise on the perception of political momentum.