Over in the marginal constituency of Moruga/Tableland, we caught up with three candidates throwing their hats in the ring for a chance to hold that seat in parliament.
The incumbent MP for the UNC, a secondary school teacher for the PNM and a 30 year-old barber for the Patriotic Front.
Our reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh was in the constituency this morning and spoke with each of the candidates.
00:00It was a morning of tassa, drums and full support for the candidates of the UNC and PNM in Moruga Tableland on nomination day.
00:10A show of the effort these candidates will be putting into their campaigns in a bid to win the seat for their respective parties.
00:35The Moruga Tableland seat with over 29,000 electors is the only one to have changed hands over the last 10 years.
00:44It was won by the PNM in 2015 by a margin of just over 530 votes, then regained by the UNC in 2020 by over 1,000 votes.
00:56But this year's PNM candidate says she does not feel that meant the residents were fed up of the ruling party.
01:03And the people that I've met on the road for the past six months, they realize that they need to be in the party that is in power.
01:12And I have no doubt that people's national movement will be returned to power.
01:16I'm going to be pushing that we continue building on agriculture, more training for youth, more entrepreneurial development, investment in our young people, investment in our young ladies.
01:28It is about becoming better.
01:31Meanwhile, incumbent UNC candidate Michelle Benjamin says although winning and becoming an opposition MP in 2020, it was not a constraint in her fight for the rights and betterment of everyday conditions for constituents.
01:46It's why she's confident of another victory on April 28th.
01:51PNM is not the answer to the embedded problems that we have as a country.
01:56And we know that all too well as a constituency that they cannot solve our crime problems.
02:01They have done nothing for the unemployment with regards to the youth and they are not stimulating the economy.
02:07PNM has to go.
02:09Well before the PNM and UNC candidates gathered their supporters and walked to the Moruga Tableland constituency's office of the retaining officer along Matilda Road, Princess Town,
02:20a third candidate was first to file his nomination papers for a chance to represent this community.
02:27For the patriotic front was 30-year-old Trevette Phillip.
02:31He says barbering is his profession, but fighting for a better country is his passion.
02:37I choose not to align myself with something I personally don't support in terms of leadership.
02:43I take pride and passion in what I do.
02:46So that's why I choose this party and I'm aware that I'm going up against too big, the big giants, but I'm not scared.
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