Orlando sees no problem

ALTHOUGH former UNC Councillor for Longdenville Vijay Kalloo defected to the PNM  last week, Chaguanas Mayor Orlando Nagessar is still convinced the ruling party “would see no  seats in Central” in the upcoming Local Government elections. Commenting on Kalloo’s  move to the ruling party, the mayor told Newsday that it came as no surprise to them. He added, “This was anticipated a long  while ago. We were aware he was in consultation with the PNM some time now.” Nagessar said that recently Kalloo was known to have made the statement, ‘Is either I be a UNC Councillor or a PNM Alderman.’ He further accused Kalloo of betrayal and selfishness. The Chaguanas Mayor said, “It is very unfortunate that  he could have betrayed the UNC.” He continued, “The party is bigger than the individual. You respect the party. You don’t go for self gratificaton. Defecting to the PNM means he is interested in himself, not the party.” Nagessar made the point that the final decision of choosing the representative is taken by the political leader.  He said that proper  procedures were followed and even before the eventual candidate was chosen all others agreed they would support whoever was selected.

The Chaguanas Mayor identified this as “a serious problem”  that all parties may be faced with from time to time when one individual does not get his way. Prior to the final stage of choosing the candidate, Nagessar remembered that Kalloo like all other members made  an “open promise” to support whoever was  chosen. The Chaguanas Mayor went on to call these recent developments a “PNM plot.” He said, “They know they cannot win by the ballot, they are trying to buy over one or two of our candidates.” Kalloo, Nagessar added, intends to lure other UNC officials who win their respective seats and so he may become mayor. Such efforts Nagessar said  would be strongly resisted, describing those efforts and a PNM win  in Central as “wishful thinking.”