Opposition People's National Movement Laventille West candidate Fitzgerald Hinds is seeking to get 16,000 votes from the constituency in upcoming general elections.Hinds confirmed the figure yesterday as he embarked on a walkabout in the Beetham area, where residents gave him a cordial welcome, though more than a few expressed concerns about jobs.
Beetham is among the first areas Hinds started his walkabouts in after being selected to contest the seat recently, gaining the nod over incumbent Nileung Hypolite and several others. Hypolite received 10,000 votes in 2007 and just over that figure in 2010.Hinds was accompanied on the walkabout by Port-of-Spain councillors, members of the constituency and area activists.
"We're red and we ready," Hinds declared to the red-clad group at the start of the walk, which began from the Beetham Senior Citizens' Quarters, where he walked around the complex introducing himself and chatting to the elderly residents.Hinds bumped fists with youths and male residents, greeted others and listened to issues when some expressed concerns. He received a number of assurances of support.
On First Street, however, a middle-aged man in a jersey and shorts told Hinds he (the man) was United National Congress (UNC). Hinds remarked with a smile, "Well, at least they'll (UNC) get one vote..."One Beetham man complaining about lack of jobs, said the People's Partnership Government had "moved projects to Central" and he and others couldn't get trade jobs in projects
In response to T&T Guardian questions about claims by some members of the Laventille West executive that they were not supporting him and that some walked out of a meeting the party leadership held with the constituency executive unit last week, Hinds said PNMites followed processes and also questioned who were making those calls.
"I'm a democrat and while all will have their say, the majority will have their way and I abide by the majority," he said, adding that the majority of people who attended last Tuesday's meeting had stayed."Last Tuesday the majority said they were abiding by the process also," he said.He said while there may be a few individual concerns, the PNM as an organisation was bigger and he followed party process and principles.
Holding out for Hypolite
Aaron Jack, of PNM's Laventille West constituency Youth League, is still hopeful the party's leadership will reconsider and place incumbent Hypolite in the candidacy.Hypolite had received the majority of nominations from the 26 units–15 party group nominations and the unit's Youth League.
Yesterday, Jack said, "We believed Mr Hypolite was the best candidate to become MP and the majority was behind him. Subsequent to the screening process, however, the party chose Mr Hinds, but the problem we had is that it had been said very long before the screening that he would indeed have become the candidate.
"That therefore places doubt in our minds that the selection process was pre-determined since that talk had started a long time ago and it then appears not to be democratic and fair. "It also placed doubt in our mind about possible victimisation of Mr Hypolite. It is my personal belief that they chose who they wanted to choose, but not who the majority of people wished to have represent them."
Jack said he and others were trying to get the PNM leadership to see that the "people want Nileung and are confident in his ability to represent them.