Who is popular today?

THE EDITOR: The Constitution guarantees free speech, whether you belong or not to a political party. Being a member of a party does not take away one’s free-speech right. One is or ought to be free and praised for critiquing one’s party’s leadership, policies, strategies, weaknesses and the like. Critiques are great to expose and address weaknesses and to strengthen a party to make it battle-ready for an election.
Thus, it was quite shocking to hear/read some UNC MPs, supporters, councillors, party officials and groups attack Rushton Paray when he called for respecting the party’s constitution and hold internal elections when due in June.
I can’t quite recall any of Dr Keith Rowley’s supporters or defenders or PNM MPs, councillors, members, party groups attacking a fellow PNM for critiquing the party, its leadership, policies and weaknesses. Rowley scheduled internal elections and he defeated his challengers as predicted by this writer on every internal PNM elections. Kamla Persad-Bissessar also defeated her challengers when she held internal elections.
So why are the UNC folks so thin-skinned when a call is made to hold internal executive elections when due? Persad-Bissessar always held elections when due. I am certain she will call the elections when due. No need for political "chelas" to attack anyone for reminding the leader that party elections are due in June.
I notice that MPs and other individuals who are most vociferous in their condemnation and leading the attack on Paray and his supporters are holders of "safe" seats. They are in a race to attack Paray (and those who support him) to demonstrate their unquestioned loyalty to the boss. They believe their behaviour and demonstration of sycophantic loyalty will guarantee renomination to their safe seats. Others hope to be rewarded with a safe seat.
However, in the 2025 election, seats once thought to be safe are under threat and could change hands. I also remind that the UNC under the present make-up is not returning to power in 2025.
Voters are fed up of the status quo; they want change and good riddance of several undesirable MPs on both sides of the aisle. One should not be surprised if the PNM replaces several MPs who the party supporters want gone. Voters are dissatisfied with their performance and they will inevitably be replaced, as happened in 2020, to strengthen the party’s position in 2025.
Like PNMites, UNC supporters also want most of their MPs gone as they have very low likeability and performance ratings. Ironically, the MPs who are attacked the most are the ones with the highest performance and likeability ratings. Paray, Dinesh Rambally, Anita Haynes and a few others are extremely well liked by constituents and praised for their stance. They service their constituents well.
Their performance brings back memories of the kind of parliamentary service once rendered by Trevor Sudama, Chandresh Sharma, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Roodal Moonilal, among a few others.
The UNC executive and leadership need to answer several critical questions: Will the UNC replace undesired MPs or will leader loyalty triumph? Is a "safe" seat for some more important than winning government? Will undesirables be willing to trade their "safe" seat for government? Is leadership more important than the party being in government? And, if so, what about the future of the party’s supporters? Shouldn’t the future of the party and the country be more important than leadership?
In looking at seats in Trinidad, the PNM’s 20 and UNC’s 19, the PNM will retain all 20 including five that can be considered as marginals. All the marginals have been fortified and have become relatively safe. Among the UNC’s four marginals, the PNM is leading in three and is tied in one. So the PNM is likely to pick up all four marginals. If a third party enters the fray, the PNM is guaranteed to pick up at least four seats from UNC and possibly more.
The UNC also faces a serious threat in eight of its so-called 15 "safe" seats. If a credible third force emerges under the leadership of someone of integrity and proven track record, say the equivalent of a Winston Dookeran as in 2007, it can capture eight or even more UNC "safe" seats and possibly PNM seats as well, rendering the UNC a minority party.

DR VISHNU BISRAM

via e-mail
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