PNM selects Mukesh Ramsingh for Pointe-a-Pierre seat

FORMER Couva/Point Lisas chamber president Mukesh Ramsingh was the only one of 18 people screened by the People’s National Movement (PNM) on August 23, to be selected as a candidate for the 2025 general election.

Ramsingh was selected from among five candidates, including Kiran Singh, head of the San Fernando Greater Chamber; Kindell Mc Intosh; Sherwin Joseph;and Clive Rambaran.

They were screened by the committee headed by the Prime Minister and political leader of the PNM, in San Fernando on August 23.

Ramsingh will contest the Pointe-a-Pierre seat now held by UNC deputy political leader David Lee. Ramsingh confirmed his selection by the screening committee and thanked PNM for the opportunity to serve.

Ramsingh’s father, Nal Ramsingh, previously contested the Couva North constituency on a PNM ticket in the past but did not get the majority vote.

He said he chose Pointe-a-Pierre, where family and close friends live. He said service to others has been his watchword all his life, and now that his business and family are in a more stable position, he felt it was time to pursue his political ambition.

The other constituencies screened on August 23 were Moruga/Tableland and Mayaro, whose party groups were told to return with new candidates.

The selection process for Fyzabad has been put on hold, as one of the five nominees, Kheron Khan, is out of the country on vacation and will not return until September, when he will be screened.

Khan is the son of former PNM chairman Franklin Khan, a former energy minister, who died on April 17, 2021.

The late Khan had ties to Fyzabad, having lived in the constituency and worked in the energy sector for many years. He was  married to Laura Sewlal, who was born in Fyzabad and who inherited prime real estate, including the property on which the Children’s Court was constructed.
The UNC’s Dr Lackram Bodoe is the incumbent MP for Fyzabad.

Four other candidates went before the screening committee seeking to represent Fyzabad. They were Jason Ali, a former UNC councillor on the Siparia Borough Corporation, who recently crossed the floor to the PNM; Richard Gooding; Roger Seepersad; and Kamaludeen Abdool Ghanny.

A large contingent of supporters, including a tassa group, gathered along Cipero Street, outside the Omardeen’s Building, as they waited for their candidates to be screened. There was loud applause from the supporters after the respective nominees completed their interviews.

The committee headed by Rowley included Colm Imbert, Stuart Young, Rohan Sinanan, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Foster Cummings, Irene Hinds, Camille Robinson-Regis, and Indar Parasram. Faris Al-Rawi, who also sits on the committee, is out of the country.

Screening for five more constituencies – Chaguanas East and West, San Juan/Barataria, St Augustine and Cumuto/Manzanilla – will continue on August 26, at Balisier House, in Port of Spain.

The PNM and the UNC, however, are not the only parties preparing for the general election constitutionally due in 2025.

Mickela Panday announced earlier this year that her party, the Patriotic Front, which was launched in 2019, will contest all 41 seats in the 2025 election and she was seeking candidates who were passionate about serving their constituents

On August 24, she told the Newsday, “I am actually on the ground right now. My focus is on providing the people of TT with a viable alternative to the two parties that have dominated and failed them for too long.”

She did not respond to a question as to whether she would be going it alone or via an accommodation with another party.

Gary Griffith, political leader of the National Transformation Alliance (NTA), was also uncertain about whether his party would contest the election alone or as part of an amalgamation.

Either way, he said, the NTA was prepared, having screened and processed 25 of the 41 constituencies. He has signalled his intention to contest the St Joseph seat now held by the PNM's Terrence Deyalsingh.
The UNC has nominated Anil Roberts for the St Joseph seat.

Griffith said his party had shadow MPs for several constituencies, including Diego Martin Central, San Juan/Barataria, Lopinot/Bon Air, Chaguanas East and Point Fortin.

He intends to identify shadow MPs for San Fernando West, Tunapuna, La Horquetta/Talparo, Sangre Grande and others in the coming weeks.

While the door remains open for dialogue with other parties, Griffith said his party is moving on.

“Most of the population would like to see an alliance of opposition parties to defeat the PNM, but the country wants more than that, not just joining forces to beat the PNM.”

He said it requires something sustainable.

“People look at these third parties and see them either as an avenue to split votes for the PNM to get more seats or to join with the opposition to defeat the PNM. The NTA is not here for that.”

He said he and his colleagues formed the party to represent the 150,000-odd floating voters who refused to be used and then sidelined by parties with ambitions of sitting at the helm of the Parliament.

If there is to be an alliance with any other party, he said, “We want to ensure mutual respect, and that the bridge constituency is going to have some kind of representation in the government.”