Haynes, Sobers screen for Tabaquite constituency

TABAQUITE MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne is unfazed about the possibility of not being picked to contest her seat in this year's general election.

She made this comment before screening at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on February 19.

Haynes-Alleyne said she remains committed to the principles of the UNC and was confident of being judged on her competence and track record in the party.

Asked if she may contest the election with another party if not selected, Haynes-Alleyne said , "In life, anything is possible."

She disagreed with claims from UNC Tabaquite constituency executive chairman Sharon Badal-Ayew the majority of the executive supported attorney Sean Sobers who was also screened for Tabaquite.

Haynes-Alleyne is one of five UNC MPs who have publicly questioned party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to lead the UNC to victory in the election.

They are Dr Rai Ragbir, Dinesh Rambally, Rushton Paray and Rodney Charles.

Charles is not standing for re-election as Naparima MP.

Ragbir, the incumbent Cumuto/Manzanilla MP, did not participate in screening for the constituency on February 14.

In a statement on February 13, Ragbir said he will not participate in the screening process because he cannot align himself with "a party that has abandoned its principles, rewards, mediocrity, shields those accused of wrongdoing, and punishes integrity."

Persad-Bissessar was dismissive of Ragbir's decision not to undergo screening.

"No one cares."

On February 19, she remained confident the UNC would retain Cumuto/Manzanilla without Ragbir because it is a safe seat.

Sobers, who unsuccessfully contested San Fernando West in 2020, was confident of being chosen as the UNC's Tabaquite candidate.

He welcomed a decision to reopen the Brasso Police Station after a recent murder there.

Sobers said the station should not have been closed in the first place.

To date, the UNC has selected eight candidates.

The UNC held its first screening of nominees in Chaguanas on November 29.

Saddam Hosein, Vandana Mohit and Michael Dowlath were chosen as candidates for Barataria/San Juan, Chaguanas East and San Fernando West respectively.

Hosein and Mohit are the incumbent MPs for their respective constituencies.

A second screening took place in Chaguanas on December 12.

On December 22, the UNC announced the selection of John Michael Alibocas (San Fernando East); Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj (Arouca/Lopinot); Richard Smith (Trincity/Maloney) and Devesh Maharaj (Aranjuez/St Joseph).

Former opposition senator Wayne Sturge is the UNC's Toco/Sangre Grande candidate.

Roget defends alliance with UNC

Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president-general Ancel Roget has defended the union's decision to join the UNC-led coalition of interests (COI) to contest this year's general election.

He made the comment at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on February 19, before two OWTU/UNC candidates appeared before the UNC's screening committee which is chaired by party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

On December 12, Persad-Bissessar met with representatives of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP), Movement for National Development (MND), Congress of the People (COP), OWTU, Public Services Association (PSA), Postal Workers Union and the Fire Services Association to discuss a coalition against the PNM.

The COI includes the PEP, Laventille Outreach for Vertical Enrichment (LOVE) leader Lennox Smith and the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM).

OWTU is a member of JTUM.

At last June's Labour Day celebrations in Fyzabad, Roget said JTUM would seek an alliance with other political parties, including the UNC, to remove the PNM in the next election.

At a UNC screening on February 17 at the same venue, Persad-Bissessar said the OWTU's candidates will contest the election in the constituencies of La Brea and Pt Fortin under the UNC's logo.

She added the UNC will only meet with them and not screen them as they would do with their candidates.

The PEP, she continued, is discussing contesting some constituencies in west Trinidad.

LOVE may contest Laventille West and Laventille East/Morvant.

Roget said, "We represent an interest."

He added workers have been abused under the PNM for nine years and it made sense for them to align with the UNC.

Roget identified the Prime Minister and Energy Minister Stuart Young as workers' biggest enemies.

Young has been selected to succeed Dr Rowley as prime minister.

Roget said no third party could look after workers' interests like the UNC could.

The candidates are Clyde Elder and Ernesto Kesar for La Brea and Pt Fortin respectively.

They were confident about their success in the election.

Persad-Bissessar said the UNC was happy to have the support of JTUM and no country could progress without workers.

She downplayed claims she was accepting a pay increase outlined in a recent Salaries Review Commission report.

Persad-Bissessar said the UNC has not accepted the recommendations of that report.

On February 17, Persad-Bissessar hinted the UNC could seek a coalition with the Tobago People's Party (TPP), depending on the election results.

The TPP is led by incumbent Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine who has publicly ruled out any partnership with the UNC or any Trinidad-based political party on several occasions.

Persad-Bissessar said, "In life, anything is possible."

She added the National Transformation Alliance (NTA), which the UNC had an alliance with for the August 2023 local government elections, is the only entity the UNC will not partner with because its leader Gary Griffith has insulted her party's national executive.

Griffith, Persad-Bissessar's former national security minister in the now defunct People's Partnership (PP) coalition government and a former police commission, fell out with Persad-Bissessar after she accused the NTA and other smaller parties for doing nothing to help the UNC and piggybacking off its resources.

Relations between them further deteriorated after Persad-Bissessar publicly criticised Griffith's performance as commissioner from 2018-2021.

NTA and Honesty, Opportunity, Performance, and Empowerment (HOPE) signed a memorandum of understanding last year to form a coalition to contest the election.