Foster: UNC campaigning with 'PNM haters'

PNM general secretary Foster Cummings has joined his political leader in dismissing former party stalwarts who are now supporting the UNC for the April 28 general election.

Speaking to supporters at the St Mary's Government Primary School, Moruga, on the night of April 19, Cummings described the play as a move of desperation by their opponents.

"Could you imagine? They are so desperate for power, they will do anything. You look at them, all they have done is assemble a bunch of PNM haters. Because, you know, we have some of those. They have assembled a bunch of PNM haters and all they are concerned about is getting into the corridors of power."

He said this was a dysfunctional relationship as many of them now were recently at each others' throats.

"If we take God out of our thoughts and they end up in power after they conspire with their hatred for the PNM, then they move to hatred for one another."

He added: "Some of them two years ago, one year ago, six months ago, they had the worst things to say about each other. Now they hug up and singing song and feel they could fool you. Well, we will not be fooled."

Former PNM St Joseph MP Kennedy Swaratsingh and former PNM attorney general John Jeremie threw their support behind the Kamla-Persad-Bissessar-led UNC coalition on the campaign trail.

Speaking at a meeting in Diego Martin last week, PNM political leader and former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley referred to Jeremie as having been a "dog in the PNM."

Taking a jab at Swaratsingh's 20-year career as a Catholic priest, Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon reportedly reacted to his switched allegiances by saying: "He needs to pray or needs prayers."

Cummings urged those at the rally to vote for PNM's Moruga/Tableland candidate Lisa Atwater over the incumbent, UNC's Michelle Benjamin.

The tight race over the marginal seat was epitomised in the 2023 local government election where both the PNM and UNC's candidates tied, each receiving 1,428 votes. The PNM's Autley Granthume won by over 700 votes in the 2024 by-election to break the deadlock.

The constituency was created in 2007 when the number of constituencies increased from 36 to 41. It was won by UNC's Clifton De Couteau in 2010 but was lost to PNM's Lovell Francis in 2015 by a margin of just under 600 votes. The seat returned to the UNC in 2020 with Michelle Benjamin securing just 1,072 votes over the PNM's candidate, calypsonian Winston 'Gypsy' Peters.