Thanks for your work as Mayaro MP, Paray

THE EDITOR: Open letter to outgoing Mayaro MP Rushton Paray.

As the leader of the National Coalition for Transformation (NCT), and also as a citizen and a voter, I congratulate you on a job well done over your last two terms as the MP for Mayaro. We understand that you were an excellent representative of the constituents and this is what the NCT encourages and promotes among people in high office.

The NCT is not just a political party to contest elections, it's also about candidates from all parties upholding certain values and having decorum. As people wanting to represent in the esteemed Parliament, we in the NCT are abhorred by the selection of certain people being chosen to contest seats in the coming general election.

From our own investigations and from discussions with other concerned citizens, we are happy to say that you have passed with flying colours. Your name and reputation are untarnished, and even your interactions with your constituents and other people have been exemplary.

It appears that your recent attempt at contesting the UNC internal elections has put you in the bad books with those at the top.

We therefore are very disappointed and amazed that the leader of the UNC and the screening committee did not have the sense and the ability to set their personal feelings aside and do the right and smart thing and choose you as the candidate for Mayaro.

I met you a few months ago, and from just that meeting I was quite impressed with your leadership qualities and your love for your constituents – and their love for you. The NCT promotes qualities such as integrity, honesty and fairness in our politics. As such, it is our opinion that you have been treated unfairly, and those who have rejected you are lacking in integrity and fairness.

We hereby pledge our support for you as you contemplate the way forward. Going up as an independent candidate is an option. The choice is yours. Do not let anyone deter you from this. And any talk of splitting votes is just that – talk. A candidate/party must win outright. They must not be depending on a few votes to cross the line. Go brave. Represent. Nothing is lost in trying.

In this regard, the NCT is donating to your campaign our free online tuition to five-ten thousand people in particular fields. We focus on educating the youths especially to make them more employable. But this tuition is open to all ages.

We have decided to offer you this not only to assist your campaign, if you decide to go independent, but to allow people in Mayaro to take advantage of this free educational offer to improve themselves for both the workplace and their own personal knowledge.

As the candidate for Mayaro we will be there to support and interact with the constituents as to how they can access this free programme. It has been so well accepted by many other organisations, including the pan fraternity and police youth clubs, that it has been extended to January 2026 – even longer. It is valid and legal.

Some of these programmes are very expensive to access, but now participants will be able to advance their knowledge without any costs incurred. We stand by to hear from you.

Good luck in your future endeavours.

NALINI DIAL

NCT