PEP head defends Point Fortin candidate

PROGRESSIVE Empowerment Party (PEP) head Phillip Edward Alexander said it was unfair for online critics to single out his party’s Point Fortin candidate Kenesha Ramsoondar for allegedly not being from the area, as she would fight for the constituency if elected, and was not unique in not living within the borders of the constituency.

Newsday on Friday reported critics claiming she was unknown, and quoted her as saying she was from La Brea, but had spent much time at her grandmother’s house in Cedros.

Alexander said Ramsoondar had garnered thousands of positive comments on her Facebook page, so asked, why give undue focus to "six trolls" with fake profiles criticising her?

He said Ramsoondar was portrayed as the only candidate from outside the area she was seeking to represent, but in fact this was also true of many high-profile candidates and politicians.

Alexander said the quality of his party's candidates was so high they could easily translate from one area to another as he gave the example of Felicia Holder originating in Port of Spain, but effortlessly fitting into Diego Martin Central as a candidate.

He took the opportunity to say Ramsoondar was a very strong candidate who had the best interests of Point Fortin constituents at heart.

“Places in South Trinidad, especially deep South, feel neglected. Residents of Point Fortin, La Brea and Fyzabad feel like they are living in another country.”

Alexander said such residents don’t see their MPs.

“You have a country being run from St Clair.”

While the PEP has 28 candidates registered to fight the August 10 general election, he said the PEP’s D'Abadie/O'Meara candidate, Haddassah Charles Mc Leod, had not been able to get back into TT during the covid19 lockdown in order to stand.

Three other intended candidates had not succeeded in filing their papers on nomination day, including one whose wife had died. These were Gerard Whyms for Couva South, Kelvin Wain for Arouca/Maloney and Marc Beddoe for Chaguanas West.

Alexander scoffed at PNM claims the PEP had used the image of PNM councillor Kimberly Small for a PEP advert.

“It is all electioneering mischief. PEP does not use stock photos.”

He said the PEP’s own media unit can produce material far superior to the purported photo of Small, which it would therefore be pointless for PEP to use.

The allegation, he said, "was entirely fabricated by forces outside – some agent of the PNM doing it for cheap thrills.”