Letter: Kamla is best hope to beat PNM

The UNC is by far the best poised to remove the PNM from office in the next general election.

In the general election of 2007 the UNC lost the government by a slim margin in the 5 seats of San Juan/Barataria, Chaguanas East, Point a Pierre, Princes Town South-Tableland and St. Joseph.

In those seats the UNC lost by 1,821; 2,671; 1,291; 1,021; 3,020 votes respectively (a total of 9,824 votes) whilst the COP received in the same seats 3,917; 4,993; 3,740; 1,437 and 4,145 votes respectively (a total of 18,232 votes).

Additionally, in the seats of San Fernando West and Tunapuna the UNC lost by 5,065 and 4,645 respectively whilst the COP received 4,951 and 3,823 votes in the same seats respectively.

The challenge the UNC faces is that a significant number of opposition voters did not support the leader of the UNC at the last election and even less continue to support him today.

As such the party finds it difficult to grow by the few thousand votes needed for an election win outright.

The COP was seen as the best alternative to the UNC but that party has suffered from what many have deemed an unattractive leader because of his lack of dynamism and his inability to communicate his party’s agenda to the people.

This is symptomatic of the small crowds at COP sponsored events and poor poll showings.

Since the last general election Mr. Dookeran has seen his popularity fall or remain stagnant (depending on which poll you believe) but it has not grown.

The COP has a far more difficult task ahead of it if it is to capture government. Even though the COP received 148,000 votes in the last election, its support base is far more scattered unlike the concentrated support of the UNC and the PNM.

The important factor therefore is the leadership of the UNC.

On January 24th 2010 the party has an opportunity to put the party on a national footing.

Should they elect a leader that is attractive not just to the UNC faithful but to the general population of Trinidad and Tobago, the UNC will stand an excellent chance to form the next government.

Such a result would most likely see a coming together of the majority of people opposed to the policies of the government.

There is no doubt that the majority of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago are looking for an alternative to the corrupt and arrogant Manning led PNM government.

The question has always been “Who we go put?”

A UNC led by Kamla Persad Bissessar will answer that question unequivocally. Ms. Bissessar is an intelligent, articulate, charismatic lady who has shown loyalty to her party and the people who support it.

She is widely appreciated and loved and is not seen as having any racist or religious agenda and is therefore able to easily reach across geographic and ethnic lines.

She has the experience having been a Member of Parliament and having served as education minister, attorney general and opposition leader.

She has been and continues to be one of the most popular constituency representatives in the country and someone grounded to her support base.

There is no doubt in my mind that Basdeo Panday has played a very significant role in the development of Trinidad and Tobago. To say otherwise would be highly disingenuous.

But we all recognise that there comes a time when the growth has stopped and the decline has begun.

As we look forward to the future, the only ray of hope on the horizon seems to be Kamla Persad Bissessar winning the leadership of the UNC on January 24th and as such I strongly encourage her to contest.

Garvin Nicholas