Ot­to Car­ring­ton

ot­to.car­ring­ton@cnc3.co,tt

A mu­si­cal and yet com­i­cal clash be­tween po­lit­i­cal par­ties and in­de­pen­dent can­di­dates as Lo­cal Gov­ern­ment Elec­tions heat up to the race on De­cem­ber 2.

Eight can­di­dates from the Unit­ed Na­tion­al Con­gress and Peo­ple’s Na­tion­al Move­ment filed nom­i­na­tion pa­pers at the nom­i­na­tions of­fice of the Elec­tions and Bound­aries Com­mis­sion in Ch­agua­nas.

Fil­ing nom­i­na­tions first was the Unit­ed Na­tion­al Con­gress (UNC) can­di­dates. They were ser­e­nad­ed by tas­sa drum­ming as they walked from the Ch­agua­nas Mar­ket to the nom­i­na­tion of­fice.

UNC Ch­agua­nas co­or­di­na­tor Sad­dam Ho­sein told Guardian Me­dia that the UNC has the win­ning slate. He said nom­i­na­tions went well and the list of al­der­men will al­so be re­leased.

He added the par­ty will not be fazed by any­one who want to come up against the par­ty since the par­ty is strong and will re­tain the Ch­agua­nas Bor­ough Cor­po­ra­tion.

The first of clash of par­ties came when for­mer Unit­ed Na­tion­al Con­gress ac­tivist Dhan­raj Balka­ran, now the in­de­pen­dent can­di­date for Fel­ci­ty/ En­deav­or, ar­rived.

Balka­ran ar­rived with his tas­sa drum­mers and it be­came a dance off be­tween the two fac­tions.

Af­ter fil­ing nom­i­na­tions, Balka­ran said he was dis­en­fran­chised with the lead­er­ship of the Unit­ed Na­tion­al Con­gress. He said he of­fered him­self for the seat and was by­passed by a can­di­date the com­mu­ni­ty is not fa­mil­iar with.

Balkran added that he has served his area and the par­ty. He be­lieves the UNC is on a wrong path and that he was urged by the com­mu­ni­ty to run as an in­de­pen­dent.

With mu­sic trucks blar­ing the Peo­ple’s Na­tion­al Move­ment ar­rived with its eight can­di­dates lead­ing their walk to the nom­i­na­tions of­fice.

It was a show be­tween the yel­low and red as they blared mu­sic at each oth­er.

Can­di­date for Ch­agua­nas East and Ch­agua­nas Co­or­di­na­tor Clarence Ram­barath boast that the PNM has the win­ning slate.He said all can­di­dates are ready to run and take the Ch­agua­nas Bor­ough Cor­po­ra­tion.

He told the Guardian he is not both­ered by who chose to run in­de­pen­dent­ly since the PNM fo­cus­es on win­ning.

The co­or­di­na­tor said his can­di­dates are on the ground work­ing hard and this will show at the polls on De­cem­ber 2.

“Elec­tions come, elec­tions go, the bal­isi­er will al­ways be on a bal­let and we don’t look at who is aligned or who is with, the PNM does the busi­ness of this coun­try and the par­ty has put out 139 can­di­dates and we in­tend to win all the seats”, he said.

The last can­di­date to file nom­i­na­tions was Mon­trose coun­cil­lor An­dell Paramsook who has an­nounced that he will run in­de­pen­dent­ly for the Mon­trose seat.

Paramsook was a for­mer UNC coun­cil­lor but yes­ter­day evening he with­drew his nom­i­na­tions.