There will be a final push by the “Red”, “Yellow” and other political parties today.
And the UNC enters the home stretch of election preparations, with the view that the tide of public sentiment has shifted in its favour for Monday’s Local Government Elections
However, the PNM is quietly confident that its efforts on Monday will break the 7-7 result of the 2019 LGE.
Preparations were being completed yesterday in the East and South for today’s final rallies by the PNM and UNC accommodation, as all parties finalised arrangements for Monday’s LG election
The PNM’s final rally before Monday’s election is at Constantine Park, Macoya—a traditional rally location for the party. Gates for the “Big Red Rally” open at 11 am, with activities from 1 pm.
PNM leader Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and other party officials will address the public.
Contingents are expected from all constituencies, with members from the key San Fernando battleground area expected in a large team.
Yesterday, PNM San Fernando officials, who said they had been “putting in the work in their areas,” pointed out that red PNM flags and banners of Mon Repos Navet candidate Nigel Coutiere - had been erected at HDC buildings at Mon Repos. They said it was where a number of UNC flags and the banner of UNC’s candidate Zahir Khan was recently posted.
Other PNM San Fernando frontliners vowed, “We’ll hold San Fernando.”
PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi didn’t answer calls yesterday on the party’s status, what its tracking polls have identified—or the party’s chances in the two seats with former UNC councillors contesting for the PNM, when defector candidates are often rejected by their former supporters.
Other senior PNM officials said, “We’re aiming to win. We’ve done our studies and our ‘homework’. We understand how some view the Government’s performance on certain areas , including where security is involved, but we’re making our best efforts.”
The PNM is seeking to retain control of its strongholds in the East-West corridor and in South, Point Fortin and particularly the San Fernando battleground.
The PNM’s also targeting UNC-controlled Sangre Grande, the new Mayaro South-Guayaguayare area, the new Couva West-Roystonia seat and possibly make inroads in Central.
We’re confident—UNC
The UNC’s preparations were being completed for this afternoon’s “Code Yellow” rally at the Southern Supplies Ltd carpark in San Fernando
Speakers include UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, National Transformation Alliance leader Gary Griffith and UNC deputy leaders.
The UNC targets the San Fernando corporation, retaining Sangre Grande and winning the two new seats in Couva and Mayaro.
UNC also aims to make inroads in PNM-controlled Arima and Tunapuna/Piarco and retain its strongholds in South and Central.
It’s NTA partner targets PNM-controlled PoS and Diego Martin corporations, as well as areas in Arima and Point Fortin
UNC strategists said, “We’ve confirmed our support and we are in a good place in Sangre Grande and San Fernando, as well as Arima and Tunapuna/Piarco. Overall, we feel the tide has shifted in our favour—the people are with us.
“We’re going to continue protecting Penal/Debe as our fortress and maintain our position of strength in Princes Town, Mayaro, Siparia, Couva and Chaguanas.”
UNC leadership officials added, “We’re working hard. We’re on the ground. If the Guardian and the country listens to our statements at our rally, you’ll see our position. UNC is on full alert. The code is Yellow and you’ll see where we stand.”
Only UNC, NTA & PNM winning seats— Griffith
NTA leader Griffith said it was unfortunate that this might be the first national election in which no scientific poll was done beyond social media polls which he said would be biased. He said there was even one which had NTA with 60 per cent, which he knew wasnt’ true.
He said no-one would understand and all parties would be optimistic, including those who had “not a snowball’s chance in hell and would lose their deposits.
He said every single of the 141 LG seats would be won by either the PNM, or the UNC, or the NTA.
“How many? It remains to be seen, I’d like to believe with the NTA’s input working with the UNC, we’d see results similar to 2010, where certain seats - in this case, corporations, shifted from the PNM to the UNC and their partner,” he added.
A Progressive Democratic Patriots spokesman said PDP hopes to win eight PoS seats and two in Barataria and El Socorro/Aranguez North, while it hopes to make inroads in the seven other areas its contesting in East and South. “We know we’ve gained ground in Port-of-Spain since PNM’s Stuart Young showed up at Charford Court today but ran when PDP leader Watson Duke came with the microphone,” he added.
The Progressive Empowerment Party is seeking inroads in East West corridor seats, Princes Town and other places.
Special voting, which began Monday for 13,284 special voters, ends at 3 pm tomorrow. Monday’s voting begins at 6 am and ends at 6 pm.
Make or Break Spotlight seats:
Both PNM and UNC have a mixture of incumbents and “Newbies”.
* UNC’s Couva West Roystonia candidate Vanessa Kussi - wife of diver Rishi Nagessar, who died in the Paria pipeline tragedy - is contesting against PNM’s Lynise Burnette-Packett.
* Ex-UNC councillor Marcus Girdharie’s contesting Marabella South/Vista Bella for PNM against UNC opponent Sasha Ali.
* Ex-UNC councillor Sheldon “Fish” Garcia contesting Arima Central for PNM against UNC’s Nigel Moses.
* Ex-UNC member Safraz Ali contesting El Socorro/Aranguez North for PDP against UNC and PNM candidates.
* UNC’s Arima West-O’Meara candidate Ryan Diaz against PNM’s Dave Maraj.
* NTA’s Russel Chan against PNM’s Marcia Marselin in Petit Valley/Cocorite.
* UNC’s Kamla Phagoo against PNM’s Alicia Ali for the Kelly Village/Warrenville seat held by ex-UNC councillor Samuel Sankar, who left UNC for PNM.
* UNC’s Shane Samlal seeking the historically marginal Cocoyea-Tarouba seat from PNM’s Teresa Lynch, who won it by 30 votes in the 2019 LG election and whose father was a councillor there.
* UNC’s John Alibocas seeking Marabella West from PNM’s Jameela Marryshaw, whose mother served there.
*PNM’s Jillon Lewis in Brighton Vessigny against UNC’s Kedisha Castillo.
* Independent Kendell Hagley contesting against PNM and UNC candidates in the new Mayaro South-Guayaguayare seat.
* PEP, PNM and UNC candidate contesting the Mayaro North seat
* Independent, PNM, PEP, NTA and MSJ candidates in Hollywood, Point Fortin.
*PDP, UNC, PNM and PEP candidates for Ben Lomond/Hardbargain/Williamsville.
*New National Vision (NNV) founder Fuad Abu Bakr, who’s the PDP Belmont North and West candidate against PNM and UNC candidates.