People's Partnership will triumph: Kamla

Kamla Persad-Bissessar admitted to reporters Tuesday that there is some dissatisfaction among supporters of her United National Congress (UNC) over the UNC executive's decision to give up 18 seats to the People's coalition.

But she said it is for the greater national good.

"I am sure there are concerns generally, but at the end of the day the People’s Partnership shall prevail," she said.

She added, "People want the hope, they want the unity and they want the coming together of our people...There are many who will feel personal hurt at first, but I know that the greatest good will prevail."

The partnership comprises the UNC, the Congress of the People (COP), the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), the Tobago Organization of the People (TOP) and the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ).

The UNC executive decided that it will contest 23 of the 41 seats, leaving the other 18 for its coalition partners. The UNC will not be contesting some of its 'safe' seats, including St Augustine and Pointe a Pierre.

Errol Mc Leod of the MSJ will be the Point-a-Pierre candidate and COP's Prakash Ramadhar will contest the St Augustine seat, which was held by the UNC's Vasant Bharath in the previous parliament.

The UNC has not yet completed its screening process for all the constituencies it will be fighting. So far it has only announced candidates for a few seats:

1. Siparia - Kamla Persad-Bissessar
2. Chaguanas West - Jack Warner
3. Fyzabad - Chandresh Sharma
4. Cumuto/Manzanilla - Colin Partap
5. Oropouche East - Roodal Moonilal
6. Mayaro - Winston 'Gypsy' Peters
7. Moruga/Tableland - Clifton De Couteau
8. Barataria/San Juan - Dr Fuad Khan

One of the contentious seats to be decided is Tabaquite, which was held by Ramesh L. Maharaj in the last Parliament. Challengers for Tabaquite include Anand Ramlogan, who ran as a COP candidate in 2007 and came second to Maharaj. The former attorney general is insisting that he get the nomination.

Couva North is a toss up between UNC Deputy Leader Dr Suruj Rambachan and former journalist and political activist Sunil Ramjitsingh. Rambachan is reported to be the favoured candidate for the seat that was held by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday since 1976.

Panday has not submitted his name for nomination. He objected to having to sit before a screening committee that includes UNC Chairman Jack Warner. Instead he has said he will run as an independent against Warner in Chaguanas West.

Oropouche West held by Panday's daughter is another contentious seat. Mickela Panday has been screened and says she will abide by the committee's decision and work to help her party win the election.

Couva South has several challengers to Kelvin Ramnath, one of the UNC's founding members, who like Panday, has refused to accept the leadership of Persad-Bissessar. Among candidates seeking to run there are attorney Dave Persad, sugar union boss Rudy Indarsingh and UNC Deputy Leader Lyndira Oudit.

Reports say YEStt leader Stephen Cadiz is interested in running either in Caroni Central, which Panday loyalist Hamza Rafeeq won in 2007, or Oropouche West. In Caroni East, UNC general secretary Dr Glen Ramadharsingh is trying to unseat Dr Tim Gopeesingh.

Chaguanas East, which could have been a UNC seat in 2007 in a one on one race could go to a former PNM candidate for Chaguanas, Ian Alleyne. The popular television host ran against the UNC's Manohar Ramsaran in 2002 and won just over 4,000 votes in Chaguanas.

The UNC expects to complete its screening process by Friday and plans to announce its full slate of 23 at a rally on Sunday on the eve of nomination day.

The PNM is still trying to finalize its lineup of 41. Three of its prospective candidates have had to drop out. Two of them were disqualified because they hold dual citizenship.