PP Water Resources Minister Ganga SIngh was supremely confident on Thursday when he assured a reporter at the post- Cabinet media conference that plans for a carbon reduction thrust wouldn’t be derailed by PP general election defeat since “that won’t happen as we’re well on our way to being re-elected,”
That assurance by Singh may or may not be echoed in other quarters. Including within the PP. But coalition jefes are keeping their own counsel on their election pace and plans. A month away from the August 17 Nomination day, the current vacation period is however expected to be broken in upcoming weeks by a heightening of campaign activity.
The PP is taking its time in candidate selection, with another batch being screened yesterday and candidates for Toco—as well as St Joseph and Pointe a Pierre—are expected to be announced at next Monday’s UNC forum in Guaico.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of candidates for Diego Martin North East, Moruga and La Horquetta Talparo on Monday, PNM leader Keith Rowley replied by heightening presence in La Horquetta on Thursday with a walkabout, supporting candidate Maxie Cuffie. PNM has targetted the seat, one of several considered marginal.
UNC sources said Moruga MP, CLifton de Coteau who was returned to contest, though a backbencher, is known to “get many maxi taxis and venues filled” since he has strong support. UNC’s Garvin Nicholas whose supporters made a vigorous showing at Monday’s UNC meeting, is pitching strongly for DM North East—which he lost by a few hundred votes in 2010—and where he’s been focusing on areas that he lost in. But PNMites said yesterday La Seiva, Moka and others including which voted PP in 2010 are “waiting for “Nicholas and “not in a good way,”
With the Third Force Movement’s opting out of the election, the race appears likely a PP/PNM contest. Jack Warner’s intent on impacting on the PP and Prime Minister’s stocks, remains to unfold in terms of the extent with his two promised “bombshells” ahead including next Tuesday. The Alliance of Independents’ impact—particularly in the E/W corridor—remains to be seen following TFM’s move. AOI holds a meeting Wednesday in Tunapuna where it’s contesting.
Last Monday’s UNC Country Club meeting was held just around the corner from the Bottlestop venue which the TFM held its first( and now last meeting) on the previous Wednesday and UNC pulled a huge crowd compared to TFM’s gathering. TFM’s credibility for future political endeavours has been damaged by its decision to opt out of elections within three weeks of formation and registering a party symbol to contest.
The amount of work that would have been required would certainly have been known by the groups on launching. Clearly, internal stresses among member groupings—AOI particularly—as demonstrated by stiff utterences from AOI members on Wednesday, contributed to TFM’s premature conclusion.
It may have brought joy to opponents including PNM, MSJ and the COP, whose leader while not attacking TFM, recently sent a warning on how split forces have brought governments down.
But in the last two days TFM’s member groupings including AOI have held talks, officials said. This was geared to try and iron out “stresses”, they added, bidding to see if they can still contest “in a limited way in certain seats.” If that develops, it remains to be seen how such an arrangement will be greeted and with how much trust, after recent events.
Despite the Country Club setting, UNC’s Forum last Monday attracted more of a traditional grassroot crowd than the so called “upper” echelons which some seemed to think UNC was pitching for. Certainly the PNM, in the event that UNC was doing that, attempted to jam UNC’s audience potential in that sector, with televised replay of the leadership’s caucus with some Goodwood Park residents.
While PNM’s leadership has attempted to set the agenda for holding of the leaders’ debate, the PNM, in the long campaign period, has had to keep to PP’s measured timing, irking some PNMites eager for action. PNM’s regional campaign launches Tuesday in Arima featuring East candidates, officials said.