Kamla: UNC seeking ‘coalition of interests’ to remove PNM

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the UNC is seeking a “coalition of interests” with other groups ahead of the next general election.

She did not say whether the effort would lead to something similar to the now-defunct People’s Partnership (PP)) coalition which won the May 2010 election.

Persad-Bissessar also admitted to the UNC having differences with its former local government coalition partner, the National Transformation Alliance (NTA).

She did not say whether those differences would be resolved or if the NTA would join the coalition the party is attempting to create.

Persad-Bissessar made those comments before a meeting at the UNC’s headquarters in Chaguanas with representatives of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP), Movement for National Development (MND) and the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) on December 12.

The Congress of the People (COP), HOPE (Honesty Opportunity Performance Empowerment) and the Public Services Association (PSA) were also invited to the meeting, but their representatives were not present when Persad-Bissessar spoke with the media.

PEP has aligned itself with the UNC but has not formally announced if it is forming an election alliance with the opposition party.

The MND is led by former People’s Partnership (PP) attorney general Garvin Nicholas.

At Labour Day celebrations in Fyzabad on June 19, OWTU president-general Ancel Roget and PSA president Leroy Baptiste spoke about a national front alliance between the labour movement and political parties opposed to the PNM, including the UNC.

To date, that proposed national front has not materialised.

Persad-Bissessar said the UNC and the groups present were concerned that the PNM was wrecking TT.

She believed the “coalition of interests” the UNC was trying to build with other groups would work in the best interest of the population.

Persad-Bissessar said the members of the coalition would maintain their individual identities but be united in removing the PNM from office.

Asked whether the coalition would become an alliance where other parties or groups would support UNC candidates or put forward their own candidates who would get the backing of UNC supporters, Persad-Bissessar said those were matters to be discussed.

“We have had discussions before and we have already identified common ground. We have a lot of common ground.”

Persad-Bissessar hoped certain things would be fleshed out in the meeting.

OWTU president-general Ancel Roget shared Persad-Bisssesar’s view.

“It is absolutely necessary that we come together to ensure that this country is saved. This country is deep crisis.”

Roget said the OWTU was prepared to do whatever was necessary to save TT.

Nicholas said, “I certainly believe, and I have said it openly, that the UNC has a significant role to play in removing the PNM.”

He added he supported things mentioned in the UNC’s draft election manifesto which he heard.

PEP leader Philip Edward Alexander seemed to take a page out of US president-elect Donald Trump as he endorsed the coalition.

He said Persad-Bissessar has “opened the doors to all of us getting together to make Trinidad great again.”

Kamla: Differences between UNC, NTA

Asked why the NTA was not invited to the meeting, Persad-Bissessar said, “I think we have common ground with them,” but she admitted there were “differences.”

Persad-Bissessar repeated that the UNC was ready to work with anyone who shared its vision, policies and principles.

Alexander said the UNC was the best party that was poised to defeat the PNM.

He added, “So all of us should be here. That is why we are here. To work together to get them out of office.”

UNC sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one objective of the meeting was to increase the support needed to defeat the PNM.

They said one idea was to allow other groups to contest PNM strongholds and get UNC voters to support them while they convince their supporters to vote for UNC candidates in marginal seats, allowing the coalition to win at least 21 constituencies to form the next government.

The NTA previously selected its political leader, Gary Griffith, as its candidate for St Joseph.

In a statement on December 1, the NTA announced candidates for San Fernando West – Dr Kevin Sarran – and Chaguanas East – Lt Cmdr Norman Dindial.

The NTA said, “Both were previously custodians for these two seats, but as of today they are confimed as the candidates.”

Griffith previously said the NTA would select people to act as custodians for different constituencies.

Should the party not form an alliance with other parties to contest the election, Griffith said the custodians would become candidates for the constituencies they were chosen for.

Other custodians selected by the party are Jairzinho Rigsby (Arima), Savita Pierre (Tunapuna), Christine Newallo-Hosein (Toco/Sangre Grande) Bernie Maharaj (Port Spain North/St Ann’s West), Paul-Daniel Nahous (Diego Martin West), Errol Fabien (Point Fortin), Gail Gonsalves-Castanada (Port of Spain South), Nicolene Taylor-Chinchamee (Lopinot/Bon Air West), Norman Dindial (Chaguanas East), and Russell Chan (Diego Martin Central).

Rigsby is a former UNC local government election candidate. Newallo-Hosein was the UNC Cumuto/Manzanilla MP from 2010-2015.

On December 1, the UNC announced it had selected Saddam Hosein, Vandana Mohit and Dr Michael Dowlath as its candidates for Barataria/San Juan, Chaguanas East and San Fernando West respectively.

Hosein and Mohit are the first two of the 19 incumbent UNC MPs chosen to stand for re-election.

The UNC was expected to continue screening nominees for St Augustine seat, held by the party’s North East Regional Representative Khadijah Ameen, and four PNM-held constituencies; Arima, Arouca/Maloney, D’Abadie/O’Meara and Lopinot/Bon Air West.

Sources said Ameen should get the nod to stand for re-election.

The UNC said not all of the nominees for those seats would be screened on December 12.

After an election preparation meeting in Chaguanas in September, the UNC said it expected to win 25 of the 41 constituencies.

The party identified Barataria/San Juan, Chaguanas East and San Fernando West as some of the seats in that group of 25 that it was confident of winning.

Griffith has publicly said that in the absence of an alliance with other parties, the NTA would direct the majority of its resources towards winning marginal constituencies which the PNM and UNC must win to form the government.

Those include San Fernando West, Chaguanas East, Barataria/San Juan, Tunapuna, Toco/Sangre Grande, Moruga/Tableland, Pointe-a-Pierre, La Horquetta/Talparo, Lopinot/ Bon Air West and Mayaro.

Working towards alliances

The NTA had an alliance with the UNC for last August’s local government elections, which ended in a seven-seven tie between the PNM and UNC.

While it won no districts in those elections, the NTA got an alderman on the Diego Martin Borough Corporation.

Griffith and Persad-Bissessar have fallen out since February, when Persad-Bissessar accused smaller parties like the NTA of piggybacking on the UNC’s resources and doing nothing to help the UNC.

The rift between them widened in September when Persad-Bissessar criticised Griffith’s performance as commissioner of police from 2018-2021.

The NTA has been in talks with the COP and HOPE on an alliance for next year’s election.

In a WhatsApp comment on December 1, HOPE political leader Timothy Hamel-Smith hinted that progress was being made.

“We established a Steering Committee (SC) to map out the way forward. The SC met yesterday and have already expanded to include another grouping.”

Hamel-Smith, a former Senate president under the 2010-2015 PP government, did not explain what this meant.

He said, “We are targeting the end of January to begin our public ‘launch’ to fulfil our mission.”

Griffith has repeatedly said the NTA was willing to work with other parties that share its principles.

He has said the dominance of a single party over others was the reason for the failure of previous coalitions such as the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR, 1986-1991) and the People’s Partnership (PP, 2010-2015).

Griffith served as national security adviser to Persad-Bissessar and national security minister in the former PP government between 2010-2015.

The COP has selected caretakers for La Horquetta/Talparo, San Fernando West, and Laventille West and Diego Martin Central.

COP political leader Kirt Sinnette has also said they could become candidates for these constituencies.

The party was part of the PP coalition which became defunct after the PP lost the September 7, 2015 election.

The COP and UNC have had no political association since then.

In September, HOPE began screening nominees for Diego Martin North/East, Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin West, Laventille West, Port of Spain South, Tunapuna, Cumuto/Manzanilla, Fyzabad, Mayaro, Naparima, Moruga/Tableland, Toco/Sangre and Tabaquite.

The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) and the Patriotic Front (PF) led by Mickela Panday (daughter of UNC founder and former prime minister Basdeo Panday, were not part of these talks either.

Another former member of the PP, the MSJ left that coalition in 2012 after its leader David Abdulah complained that the UNC was turning a deaf air to the MSJ’s concerns about allegations of corruption against the PP at that time and appointments being made to certain state enterprises.

At that time, Roget fully supported the MSJ’s decision to leave the PP.

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