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  • 10 months ago
Is the United National Congress hierarchy willing to look past the division which occurred during its internal election and go ahead and select persons described as party dissidents to represent the party in safe seats in the upcoming election?

The jury may be out, but Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes left viewers guessing what would be her next move politically if not selected, while Attorney At law Sean Sobers is more than willing to take her spot.
Transcript
00:00The battle is on for what many call the UNC safe seat of Taberkeet.
00:06Currently held by Anita Haynes, she and four others have been labelled dissidents
00:11following the party's internal election in 2024.
00:15Since the internal elections we've been trying to go away from the term dissidents
00:19because what are we dissenting to?
00:21The group of us initially called for internal elections to be held when they were constitutionally due
00:25and when the internal elections were held we participated as part of the democratic process.
00:30Since then, the team that participated has remained committed to the United National Congress
00:36and so we're not dissenting to anything.
00:38What we're standing for is democracy within our own organization.
00:41Haynes says she's backed by the majority of the constituency executive.
00:46One person is supporting Sean Sobers, the rest are standing behind you supporting me.
00:51The outcome is very generous. This is our one man, one vote in the United National Congress.
00:56We have the majority of the votes.
01:00Attorney-at-law Sean Sobers, who was not successful in his 2020 bid for San Fernando West,
01:06is hoping to snatch the candidacy from Haynes.
01:09I think my chances are pretty good with the constituency chairman executive behind me,
01:14liaising with many persons within the constituency.
01:17I understand the needs of the persons within the constituency
01:20and I think I'm quite poised to deliver to those persons as it pertains to their needs.
01:25The constituency chairman was at hand to share why she backed Sobers.
01:29In the last internal election, there was a split in the executive
01:33and I continued to stand in support of my party
01:37and I gave Sean Sobers the full support for the seat of Tabakit constituency
01:41because we share similar attributes.
01:43And Tabakit constituency deserves somebody who is on the ground,
01:48who is that warm body to the people.
01:50Drawing swords with the Kamala Bissau-Bissau backed slate,
01:53Haynes, Rushton Parry, Dinesh Ramboli, Rye Ragbir and Rodney Charles
01:58openly criticised Bissau-Bissau's leadership of the party, saying it was time for her to go.
02:04But this 2025 aspirant says it's time to move on democratically.
02:10Once I am judged on my performance as a Member of Parliament
02:15and as a Member of the United National Congress having served as the party's PRO,
02:19having worked in numerous marginal seats,
02:22including helping Mr Sobers when he ran in San Fernando West,
02:26I think that I would have the best chance here
02:29if they are using other determining factors as well.
02:32Meanwhile, Sobers says he's been on the ground
02:34and is well poised to represent the people of Tabakit.
02:38A lot of the issues being experienced in the constituency,
02:43a number of them are tied specifically to Tabakit,
02:46in terms of the road network,
02:48pretty elastically being experienced by the farmers and whatnot,
02:51but the general pervasive issue of crime
02:54and other issues that occur in the Tabakit constituency
02:57are well tethered throughout Trinidad and Tobago
03:00and it is more squarely pointed and connected to the chest of the PNM.
03:05That is the issue, the PNM.
03:07Though months have passed since the internal election,
03:10some, like Ragbir and Charles,
03:12continue their condemnation of the political leader,
03:15leaving even the others unable to fall back
03:18into the graces of the Posada-Besasa faction.
03:21What will the Screening Committee decide?
03:24Well, in the case of Haynes,
03:26she doesn't seem to be placing all her eggs in one yellow basket.
03:31So if you are not selected by the Screening Committee tonight,
03:34will your allegiance with the UNC change?
03:36You know, the thing is, I will not go into the Screening Committee.
03:39Facing the Screening Committee and preclude their decision,
03:43the question of what happens after will be dealt with after.
03:46But as it stands, and I have said time and time again,
03:49the principles of the United National Congress,
03:52which is equality for people of Trinidad and Tobago,
03:55equitable access to resources,
03:57those are things that we always stand by,
03:59and the people of Tabakit stand with me on that.
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