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00:52I haven't seen my MP. It's been 9, going on 10 years
00:55I haven't seen him.
00:56He's basically like a ghost MP.
01:05From Arangues to St. Joseph, almost every utility pole and wall has been plastered with red and yellow flyers.
01:13Trucks with loudspeakers drove through the communities urging residents to support either the PNM candidate Terence Delsing or UNC candidate Attorney-at-Law Devish Maraj.
01:23Two other political parties are in the race for the seat, the National Transformation Alliance and the Patriotic Front, but with less resources at their disposal, they were less visible than the major parties.
01:35In the 2020 general election, only 823 votes separated the PNM from the UNC. Delsing secured 9,361 votes, while UNC candidate Aloy Hunt secured 8,539 electorate votes.
01:50Fast forward to 2025, we want to know what are the people on the ground saying.
01:57TV6 spoke to a few residents in the Arangues St. Joseph area and how they felt about the last five years of representation from their MP and what more they would like to see in the next five years.
02:10We first venture to St. Joseph.
02:12We have to prepare to meet the challenges of life without fear.
02:21Have you ever seen your MP in your area?
02:24Only when it's election time, ma'am.
02:26But they can't fulfill what they're saying now.
02:30Because there's a lot of promises in them, ma'am.
02:33But I'm saying Kamala promises, does she promises everywhere and wish you'll get all our money.
02:39But she, she has, she sources too.
02:41And just like every other community in TNT, crime, lack of job opportunities and water, among other issues, are top priority for most residents in St. Joseph.
02:52Water, more electricity.
02:55These, some places where they're walking up here, dark.
02:59Definitely employment, the roads, sometimes we, you know, the water schedule.
03:04There are some times when, you know, we don't get water on sufficient days, yeah.
03:07Basically for, you know, the next representative who is elected in the, for the constituency of St. Joseph, to basically walk around and hear the concerns of the people.
03:17You know, to hear their concerns, have walkabouts, you know, regularly.
03:21Will you be voting for the next election?
03:23Yes, I will be voting.
03:25And will you be voting?
03:26I will be definitely voting for change.
03:28To Monkdorf we go, where we met with Quincy Walker from Monkdorf.
03:35He believes that there aren't enough job opportunities for young people.
03:38Men on the whole, in general, they're too idle in a sense.
03:43They're just doing nothing.
03:44And if they get something to occupy them, I believe they will be occupied.
03:48They could tell their peers, their peers will be occupied as well.
03:51And things, I believe, could run a little smoother according to where crime and that kind of thing had to go about.
04:00Further up the road in Monkdorf, another PNM stronghold area, there were mixed views from residents as to who they will be staining their finger for on April 28th.
04:09Like this resident, Gary Graham, who has always supported the PNM, he told us that this time around, another party will get his vote.
04:18While on the other hand, Matthew Maureen says he will be voting for the ruling party.
04:22We have been working with him for some time, and for a candidate, he's the best we ever see so far affiliating with the people.
04:31You know, he's going down to the lowest with the people, you know.
04:35Places that are the candidates, they don't go to see people who are sick and who are in wheelchair and to hear the opinion and to hear the voice.
04:43He's reaching all them distance.
04:45The only party is the people's national movement.
04:50Because when you listen to them other parties, especially UNC, they have nothing good to offer for the off-movement of the party and to carry the party forward.
05:01They have we in this position from, you see, from 2010 to 2015, how they run the country and lab last and spend money while no improvement, no investment.
05:12It's them who have we so.
05:15A strong support for change is being echoed in Aranguas, but not surprising as there's always a strong support for Mirage in the Aranguas area,
05:24as it's the heart of the UNC base in the marginal constituency.
05:27I find that the 10 years that PNM gets, they do what it's supposed to do to the population and the people of Turner, the unemployed.
05:38It's our people today have four and five passes, six, seven, eight passes working KFC, pizza boys, selling doubles.
05:45I'm working in closed stores and then you have a new system, a new thing now, you're overqualified.
05:52Antonio Noel, a fruit vendor by the Aranguas, Savannah, echoed similar views, as he too has not seen his MP unless it's election time.
06:00He says one vote can change everything, but the way he sees it, it won't make much of a difference if the PNM or the UNC wins.
06:08However, he has this message for the next candidate that will be representing this constituency in the coming future.
06:15Do better than you last. Make yourself available.
06:18Sharla Kistu, TV6 News.
06:48Sharla Kistu, TV6 News.
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