New UNC blood for Local Govt polls

THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) has opted for new blood to lead the fight in the Chaguanas Borough and Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Corporations in the July 14 Local Government Elections. In Chaguanas, incumbent Mayor Orlando Nagessar and his deputy Gopaul Boodan return to contest their respective electoral districts of Felicity/ Endeavour and Montrose. Also returning to face the polls will be UNC incumbents Roshard Kasmally and Salisha Esahak in Enterprise North and Charlieville respectively. The party is hoping newcomer Michael Gilmore will oust incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) councillor  Ronald Heera from Enterprise South and ensure that all eight electoral districts are controlled by the UNC. Veteran UNC councillors Vijay Kalloo and Sunil Mohammed, who served for ten and four years respectively, were not selected. In Couva/Tabaquite/ Talparo, incumbent chairman Ranjit Ramnarine will seek another term when he contests the Waterloo/ Perseverance/ St Mary’s district. UNC incumbents Shaffimoon Fajh, Feeraz Ali and Sahadeo Boondoo will return to defend their respective seats of Balmain/Esperanza/Forres Park, Gasparillo/Bonne Aventure and Longdenville/Mamoral.

Two popular cricketers, Boya Sahadeo and Premnath Ramnath, are newcomers in the UNC’s line-up and are optimistic of succcessful innings in their respective electoral districts of Caratal/ Tortuga and Freeport/ Calcutta. The hot seat in this corporation is expected to be California/Point Lisas where the PNM is pinning its hopes on Rhonda Bartholomew-John to make the breakthrough and party General Secretary Martin Joseph has urged PNM supporters to shock the UNC in its Central Trinidad heartland. Former corporation chairman Ramchand Rajbal, an ardent community worker and member of the Couva Carnival Committee, was not selected to contest the polls for the UNC. Rajbal joined National Team Unity which has decided to stay out of the July 14 elections. Party Local Government coordinator Chandresh Sharma said UNC incumbents would not receive automatic selection as candidates.

The full slate of candidates for these corporations is-
Chaguanas: Orlando Nagessar (Felicity/ Endeavour); Roshard Kasmally (Enterprise North); Salish Esahak (Charlieville); Michael Gilmore (Enterprise South); Joey Samuel (Monroe Road/Caroni Savannah); Rana Persad (Longdenville/Edinburgh); Darsingh Inalsingh (Cunupia) and Gopaul Boodan (Montrose)
Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo: Ranjit Ramnarine (Waterloo/Perseverance); Shaffimoon Fajh (Balmain/ Esperanza/Forres Park); Chaitram Rampersad (California/Point Lisas); Boya Sahadeo (Caratal/Tortuga); Harold Rambharat (Claxton Bay/Pointe-a-Pierre); Paras Ramoutar (Edinburgh/ Chickland); Allan Seepersad (Calcutta/McBean); Premnath Ramnath (Freeport/Calcutta); Manohar Gosine (Las Lomas/San Rafael/Talparo), Sahadeo Boondoo (Longdenville/ Mamoral) and Henry Awong (Piparo/San Pedro/ Tabaquite).