WINSTON
DOOKERAN ...
UNC Political Leader.
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THE
United National Congress (UNC) says the party is ready for any snap
election Prime Minister Patrick Manning is threatening to call.
And the Opposition party has already lined up a slate to contest
the polls when Manning rings the election bell.
Sources close to the UNC executive have revealed a secret list of
candidates that would be taking the fight to the ruling People’s
National Movement (PNM) in the UNC strongholds.
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KAMLA PERSAD-
BISSESSAR ...
Opposition Leader.
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But judging from the list of candidates, some activists are arguing
that the UNC is destined for Opposition again and Manning can feel
assured that the PNM will score a landslide victory, capturing at
least 27 seats in the new 41-seat Parliament.
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The UNC is concentrating on 14 seats in
Parliament. They currently hold 16 seats.
Four current UNC MPs -- Nizam Baksh, Subhas Panday, Harry
Partap and Adesh Nanan -- are giving way to some members
of the UNC executive to face the electorate.
While former UNC leader Basdeo Panday will not be facing
the polls, his daughter and niece are among the contenders
down to fight two constituencies.
Mikela Panday is slated to contest her father’s seat,
Couva North while Aunsha Panday, daughter of Subhas Panday,
will replace him in Princes Town.
The slate before the election committee comprises Vasant
Bharat, who will replace UNC Political Leader Winston Dookeran
for the St. Augustine seat, Wade Mark (St. Joseph), in place
of Gerald Yetming.
Chandresh Sharma, is being moved from Fyzabad to one of
the two Oropouche seats, while Dr. Tim Gopeesingh is contesting
the other.
Oropouche is now divided into constituencies (North and
South), Dr. Roodal Moonilal is moving from representing
Oropouche to contest the Naparima seat, which is held by
Baksh.
A candidate is yet to be selected for Fyzabad.
Senator Ato Boldon’s name has been mentioned.
Kelvin Ramnath will shift from Couva South to Point-a-Pierre
to replace current UNC MP Gillian Lucky.
His constituency may be contested by former Attorney General
Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, whom UNC Deputy Political Leader
and big-time financier Jack Warner wants on the slate. Despite
the fact that UNC supporters want to “hang Maharaj’s
Jack,” Warner is holding the “Ace” to
save him.
The Chaguanas constituency has been divided in two -- East
and West.
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MIKELA
PANDAY
CHANDRESH
SHARMA
DR.
ROODAL
MOONILAL
SURUJ
RAMBACHAN
WINSTON
PETERS
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VASANT
BHARAT
DR.
TIM
GOPEESINGH
ATO
BOLDON
KELVIN
RAMNATH
JACK
WARNER
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RAMESH
MAHARAJ |
There is a toss up for those two seats between Sylvester Ramquar,
Suruj Rambachan and possibly Warner who wants to contest a
sure seat.
Ramaquar is a trade unionist and a Hindu Credit Union banking
executive and Shakti Radio talk show host, while Rambachan
is Mayor of Chaguanas. UNC MP for Chaguanas Manohar Ramsaran
has got the boot because of his alliance with Dookeran.
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The
Caroni East seat will have Councillor Shama Deonarine, who
will replace current UNC MP Ganga Singh, another Dookeran
associate who has been left in the cold.
Sangeet l06 Radio talk show host Sadruddin “Sadro”
Mohammed, who has reportedly been promised a seat because
of his anti-Dookeran stance is expected to replace Adesh Nanan
in Tabaquite.
Radio Shakti talk show host Jairaj Singh, is also eyeing that
constituency but there is talk he may sent to battle the PNM
in Princes Town South, while Winston “Gypsy” Peters
is still in contention for Mayaro, a seat he once held in
parliament until he was defeated by the PNM’s Franklin
Khan, who is facing bribery charges before the courts..
Kevin Ramnarine, who was once Panday’s speech writer
at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition is slated to
replace Harry Partap in Nariva.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar will hold on to the
Siparia constituencies.
Those current MPs who are being sidelined have reportedly
been promised seats in the Senate, the source said.
The UNC appears not very concerned about the marginal seats
and are still finalising candidates for those constituencies.
Deputy Political Leader Warner was being considered to fight
a seat along the East-West Corridor but some UNC officials
say that he can’t get any African votes -- only if the
Soca Warriors win the World Cup. |
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ADESH
NANAN
NIZAM
BAKSH
HARRY
PARTAP
SUBHAS
PANDAY
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