Gypsy willing to serve TT again

 FORMER United National Congress (UNC) Ortoire/Mayaro MP Winston “Gypsy” Peters has said he would be willing to serve Trinidad and Tobago as an Opposition Senator. This was the former  MP’s response to media reports that he was tipped to replace late UNC Senator Arnim Smith. The 57-year-old Smith died last Sunday at the St Clair Medical Centre from a ruptured aorta.

Speaking with Sunday Newsday Thursday, hours before Smith’s funeral service at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, Peters confirmed that there was a lot of talk about who could replace Smith but felt that yesterday people should be focusing “on Arnim” and leave talk about his replacement for another time. Peters said he remains willing to serve TT in whatever capacity he could. When asked directly if he would accept an appointment as a Opposition senator, Peters replied: “I would accept.” According to Section 40 (2) (b) of the Constitution, the Opposition is entitled to six senators who are appointed by the President, acting on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.

The popular calypsonian’s entry into politics in 2000 was marred by allegations that he and fellow candidate William Chaitan held dual citizenship in the United States and Canada and thus could not be the legal MPs of Ortoire/Mayaro and Pointe-a-Pierre respectively, should they have won those seats in the December 2000 general elections. Peters and Chaitan subsequently won their respective seats and the allegations against them were dismissed. Chaitan gave way to Gillian Lucky as UNC Pointe-a-Pierre candidate in the December 2001 general elections but Peters contested and retained the Ortoire/Mayaro seat in those polls. In 2000 and 2001, Peters defeated current Works Minister and PNM chairman Franklyn Khan for the seat. Peters lost Ortoire/Mayaro to Khan in the October 2002 elections.