In a stunning political upset, the PNM strongholds of La Brea and Point Fortin fell to the UNC, marking a historic shift that left residents reeling with disbelief, awe, and jubilation.
Labour leaders Ernesto Kezar from the Oilfield Workers Trade Union and Clyde Elder from the Communication Workers Trade Union secured unprecedented victories in the Point Fortin and La Brea constituencies long plagued by poverty, unemployment, and neglect.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Tuesday, Kezar, who contested and lost in 2020, said the victory was unexpected.
“Right now, I have not processed this entire situation,” Kezar said. “We were heavy on the campaign trail. It has been a hard and gruelling campaign, and it brought results.”
Kezar credited his team, which included trade union leaders and young volunteers.
“I could not have gotten this success without my entire campaign team. We had over 106 persons walking with me. We didn’t pay them. People just said, ‘Listen, we for the cause’,” he told Guardian Media.
He said his campaign focused on the issues facing the average person.
“We weren’t here to tell you what the other side didn’t do,” he noted. “We were here to say that all that has happened in the last nine years did not benefit the average person.”
Kezar pointed to the closure of Petrotrin and Trinmar as major blows to the community.
“Since the shutdown of Trinmar and Petrotrin, and the [loss] of all these workers, that was a major impact in Point Fortin. There has not been anything to replace that.”
He described the economic state of the constituency as one where people have been “limping along economically.”
Kezar said the victory represented more than a party win.
“When UNC win, everybody win,” he asserted. “People have been beaten economically, socially, and politically for the last seven to nine years. People just decided, ‘Let’s try something different.’ They took a chance on Ernesto Kezar. And by Almighty God, I hope that we're not going to disappoint Point Fortin.”
He described the campaign as one owned by the people.
“They own the campaign. Ownership translates now to the ownership of being able to have an impact and benefit from the governance that is going to come under my leadership.”
Kezar noted that although he had previously contested the seat with the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), the difference this time was being part of a mass party.
“The MSJ had the proper policies, but we only fought five seats. We did not present ourselves as a national party,” he observed.
“This time, with the UNC, labour, COP, and the People’s Empowerment Party,” he said, “it was a nice mixture with an excellent campaign strategy.”
He said young people were at the centre of his campaign.
“We had a lot of young initiatives. It was not just to attract youth. When we told young people what we were going to do in terms of job creation and stimulating the economy, it resonated,” he explained.
Kezar vowed to advocate for Point Fortin’s fair share in national programs.
“There’s a program in Chatham where over 200 young people were given land. Only five persons from Point Fortin benefited. I have to make sure that people from Point Fortin benefit.”
In La Brea, Elder said the UNC victory was historic.
“Never before has an opposition UNC won the seat," he said.
Elder, who had just weeks to prepare, said he was not surprised by his win.
“I was almost confident of the victory. Based on the campaign I ran, and the UNC ran,” Elder said, “I think we did an excellent campaign this year.”
He said the mood in La Brea was one of disbelief and euphoria.
“There’s that historic feat of attempting to win the seat for so many years and not doing it. Now to cross the line and get over the line to that victory—people [are] just absolutely elated. It’s almost like a surreal feeling.”
Asked about his priorities, Elder told Guardian Media:
“I am here to serve the people, as the incoming Prime Minister has told us: ‘Serve the people. Serve the people,. Serve the people’.”
He said the main issues are, “unemployment, underemployment, and poverty in La Brea. That should not be existing. Then comes water, roads, and infrastructure.”
As a labour advocate, Elder said he would push for change to labour laws.
He said there was much work already done through committees like the International Labour Committee.
“We have done excellent work on those committees. Some are low-lying fruits that we could immediately get out of the way.”
Speaking about the short campaign, Elder said:
“The campaign was about six to seven weeks. I would have started campaigning from morning straight into the night. It was tiring, but it was fun. I enjoyed meeting the people.”
Elder also underscored his respect for voters’ rights.
“We will not meet people of the same persuasions that we have, and that too is acceptable,” he said. “That is our defined right to support any political party of our choice.”
