He has common folk at heart

THE EDITOR: Our political culture does not fully appreciate the importance and contribution made by our elected officials who are generally the target of derision and ridicule.

With an election year quickly approaching, the toxicity of the political landscape is expected to escalate, especially on the social media platforms.

Politicians will be keenly jockeying to get the nod to be selected to represent their respective constituencies in what is expected to be a very keenly contested general election.

However, the present political system does not engender the emergence of the best qualified people to grace the hallowed halls of Parliament.

Yet there are a few MPs who, if judged on their admirable qualities and track record, should be in the forefront to lift the quality of representation that the people of TT richly deserve.

One such person is Dinesh Rambally, the erstwhile Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, who is being pilloried and ostracised by the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC).

If truth be told, as a constituent I can attest to the great work against the odds that the young and successful attorney has accomplished in only his first foray in representative politics.

It is no easy task to fulfil all the demands made of an MP on the Opposition bench, made more challenging by a lack of access to resources at all levels and undermined by local government officials.

Rambally has been highlighting the plight of TT citizens including women and children stranded in Syria, languishing in refugee camps in that war-torn country.

His campaign on behalf of the refugees has sadly not received government support, but it has not dampened his commitment made many months ago.

He has also been willing to put his personal safety on the line by travelling to Syria if that would assist in expediting the return of his fellow Trinidadians home.

In Parliament, Rambally has clocked up the most speaking time by any opposition parliamentarian on a range of national issues marked by the depth of his research, valid and cogent points, and sober presentation.

The MP is usually the first on the scene when tragedy and natural disasters strike his expansive constituency, whether it is on the banks of the overflowing Caroni River in the middle of the night, fiery public protests in Bejucal against crumbling infrastructure, crime scenes affecting his constituents in Felicity and elsewhere.

Rambally has piloted several community-empowerment programmes such as the distribution of thousands of seedlings to promote food sustainability.

He regularly stages all-day sessions across the constituency for people seeking legal advice for free; and public meetings involving the police, addressing crime and other issues.

The practising pandit was also the first MP to come out against the Salaries Review Commission (SRC)’s recommendation to give politicians and some public servants ridiculous salary increases.

Rambally is a man of integrity and an example of a politician with the interest of the common folk at heart, who has been going the extra mile to fulfil his responsibilities more than most of his colleagues.

JOHN VINCENT

Charlieville