MP Monroe unfazed by loss of Sangre Grande council seat

TOCO/SANGRE Grande MP Roger Monroe told Newsday he did not consider his chances of re-election in the next general election to be diminished by the loss of a seat on the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) in the August 14 local government elections. Newsday met him at the recent swearing-in ceremony for SGRC councillors.

“Basically, we all go into elections to win. We in the PNM faced elections in 2019 and we came out of being in charge of the SGRC by losing a seat, which was the Sangre Grande Northwest seat at that time.

“In 2020 – six months after – I faced the polls and I won by a margin of 3,000-plus votes.”

Monroe said in the recent election the PNM had lost the Valencia West seat “but only by a very slim margin.” He said, “There is always room for improvement, in systems and plans.

“I’m an MP who is always on the ground and I will continue to work with my residents and constituents in the Valencia West area, find out what is the issue at hand. Rest assured, I will treat with that, and I am pretty sure that by whenever is the day for the general election, we would be in a better position to ensure that we have a victory at the polls.”

Newsday asked if the PNM should focus on any specific priorities in Sangre Grande and environs.

With one or two UNC councillors craning their necks to listen in, Monroe seemed guarded with his plans, replying, “There are always priorities and I have those priorities, but I don’t think at this point in time I’m willing to reveal such.”

Newsday asked about people complaining about crime, potholes and the cost of living.

“Well, those issues are national issues to some extent, which unfortunately we are a part of the national scheme of things and unfortunately are dealing with those issues as well.

“However, the better side of it is that as MP for Toco/Sangre Grande, I am aware of it. I am always in constant communication with my residents and constituents and on those issues representations from my good self are made on behalf of those issues. And rest assured that in short order you would see some adjustments to those situations, whether it be water issues, national issues, cost of living issues.”

Monroe expected to see “a lot of improvement” on those issues.

In Valencia West – one of eight seats on the SGRC – the successive local elections in the past four years saw a PNM margin of 166 votes change into a UNC margin of 126.

The 2019 results were: PNM 1,169, UNC 1,003 and Independent 102. The 2023 results were: UNC 1,064, PNM 938, Independent 96 and PDP 31.