Plain Talk, Good English

It doesn’t seem like very long since we had an election in Trinidad and Tobago. But it’s been almost a staggering two months and finally we’re set to hit the polls, again, for long postponed Local Government Elections.

It is in keeping with the Public Relations Partnership, er, the People’s Partnership’s General Election promises of transparency and change that these elections, last hosted on these shores in 2003, finally be contested.

But I suspect this election has far more significance than usual.

The People’s Partnership has not been swell headed since their overwhelming thumping of the People’s National Movement in Monday, May 24th’s poll. They, lead mainly by Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner, have taken aggressively to making an impression, even though they’ve yet to manufacture much change of yet.

This is not a fault of their own, particularly after just six weeks,  although several patient Trinidadians are already warming up their voices, a good bit of them PNM die hards, to sing complaints.

But it is for that reason, this election is that important.

Like most other Local Government Elections held in my brief lifetime, I honestly have cared little for it. Seeing individuals like Trevor Sayers lobbying for public office hasn’t exactly helped me take it seriously. but then I heard the jabs of the big boys of each party.

This election will show each party just how much of the people are really behind them.

Most have pointed out that the People’s Partnership’s victory had a an epicenter around the people’s dislike of Patrick Manning more than their utter distrust of the PNM on a whole, with Keith Rowley seen as the white light who sought to guide the party through grim mist but was ultimately ignored.

It is of no surprise then, with Manning taking a disgraceful bow at the public’s request, that the Partnership faithful have started to paint his successor as an unworthy Brutus to the former Prime Minister. With every interview more attempts are made to illustrate the Diego Martin West MP from the same fabric as the San Fernando East MP.

Rowley on the other hand seeks to reclaim the many despondent PNM faithful who voted or did not vote to get Project Manager Manning out of office. This election may just show what the people really wanted.

Nothing less than a comprehensive victory for the People’s Partnership will be a loss to them, as they will recognise that despite holding three quarters of the Parliamentary seats, they do not necessarily have the faith of people.

On the flipside, a positive PNM showing will confirm suspicions that PNM is still strong and Rowley may be a more aggressive Rottweiler than ever seen before, from the opposition benches.

Intriguing viewing ahead.