UNC confident of 2020 election victory

THE UNC is in full election gear and is confident of a victory in the 2020 general elections.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said, although the party has not been on the “air” (main stream media), they have been on the ground.

She denied they have waited until the end to select candidates and that it is being done in secrecy. She said covid19 restrictions has changed the way candidates normally present themselves for screening with tassa drummers and a “posse.”

She said, last week, nominees brought supporters which attracted the attention of the police. The police were again present at Wednesday evening's screening at the party’s southern headquarters, San Fernando, advising supporters not to gather.

While she is not worried about the time to campaign before an election is called, Persad-Bissessar said she was concerned the date might be announced while the borders were still closed.

She said that would deny thousands of people who are abroad an opportunity to vote. She said she was not an advocate for mail-in votes as she did not trust that system.

She said while her party had been on the ground, they had encountered several discrepancies and, as such, had lodged almost 3,000 objections with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

The EBC, among other things, was asked to investigate voters who have not been living at addresses specified on the electoral list for the past two years.

Persad-Bissessar said they have also raised concerns about Venezuelans in TT who may be applying for identification cards to enable them to vote.

With respect to the line-up of incumbents selected to contest seats on an UNC ticket, Persad-Bissessar said to expect changes.

Just like what has happened in the PNM where some seven incumbents have not made the selection list this time around, there is speculation that quite a few sitting MP’s on the opposition benches may also be making their departure.

Opposition MP’s Ganga Singh, Dr Tim Gopeesingh and Dr Surujrattan Rambachan have already declared their decision not to contest, but question marks hang over the heads of a few others.

Persad-Bissessar said the interest generated by the mass number of people that wanted to serve the party was one of the reasons for the exercise not being completed.

She is, however, hoping to complete screeening this week

Fielding questions about the future of Barry Padarath who is still in Miami, she said he had applied for and had been granted an exemption to return. She said she did not know how he would get to TT but, if he did not get home in time for screening, it could be done virtually.

Regarding allegations surrounding his financial status, Persad-Bissessar said that was a PNM strategy “to take him out of the game.”

She said because they (the PNM) knew Padarath was close to her, they had embarked on a campaign to tarnish his name, just as they did to her in 2015 with E-mailgate.

“They have nothing new to campaign on except the same ole, same ole rhetoric. They want to remove Barry because they know he is close to me, he was close to me and he is a very important member of our team.”

She said based on the allegations and information presented so far, “they have nothing whatsoever with respect to MP Barry Padarath except they are trying to take him out of the game.”