The hunt is on for a new MP for St Joseph as five candidates filed nominations for the November 4 by-election.The Aranguez Main Road was filled with drama shortly after nine yesterday as candidates arrived at the Elections and Boundaries Office.
Shortly before 10 am the candidate for the United National Congress (UNC), CNC3 Crime Watch host, Ian Alleyne walked along the main road to the office with the caretaker MP for the constituency, Environment and Water Resources Minister Ganga Singh, and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.He was accompanied by a music truck and about 100 supporters wearing yellow UNC T-shirts.
He met and greeted people as he approached the office of the Returning Officer to file his nomination papers. He later told reporters he was seeking election "to settle a score, to deal with the criminals."He said he was taking 14 days leave from Crime Watch and he would be back. He said he wanted to be MP to take crime-fighting to a different level. During his brief interview supporters of the Independent Liberal Party chanted, loudly: "Sell out! Sell out!" Moments later the UNC supporters started a chorus of "Ian! Ian! Ian!"
Alleyne said he would "not respond now to what they are saying about being a sell out. I am not going to get into a shouting match."Alleyne was expected to "tell all" at last night's meeting of the UNC in Fyzabad."It will be the truth, against lies," Alleyne added.The People's National Movement's candidate Terrence Deyalsingh, a former senator, was the third candidate to arrive. Deyalsingh was accompanied by PNM public relations officer, Senator Faris Al-Rawi and a handful of supporters.
After filing, Deyalsingh said he was "so happy and elated" and was now preparing to "do the ground work" in St Joseph. He said a PNM victory next month would signal the return of "a calm and decency in St Joseph."Deyalsingh said he was unhappy about the crowd of UNC and ILP supporters outside the office with loud music being played by music truck from the two parties, saying Nomination Day should be "a solemn and quiet day."He said he was confident of victory at the polls.
ILP candidate Om Lalla was third to arrive. After filing his nomination papers, he told reporters the by-election would be one that had never been seen before in the country."It is going to be heated, exciting (and) what we are going to see is a foundation being laid for the next general election."According to Lalla a lot was at stake and no political pundit could call the election result.
Admitting he was confident of victory, Lalla said: "This fight will be between the ILP and the PNM." He said Alleyne would get third place in the five-candidate race.The first to file was Independent candidate, media owner Errol Fabien, who told reporters he was confident of victory as an Independent candidate.Saying he was a resident of the constituency, Fabien said he was intent on championing the needs of the people in Parliament. He said he wanted to get the little things the people of the constituency wanted.
Fabien said under the Constitution candidates were allowed to spend a maximum of $50,000 in campaigning. He said candidates who spent millions of dollars were breaking the law. He said his campaign would involve walking to the homes of constituents and not big political meetings.He said he would "knock on doors and ask people for their support."He said the other candidates were nice guys.
The fifth candidate who filed nomination papers yesterday was Michael Lopez, of the Democratic National Assembly (DNA). He said he would speak about his campaign later this week.There was some tension yesterday as police ordered the music trucks to stop playing music as nomination papers were being filed. They later advised the crowd of UNC and ILP supporters to leave the precincts of the office.