A keen fight's ahead as candidates from at least six political parties will today register with the Election and Boundaries Commission for the November 28 Local Government polls.
Candidates will present their nomination papers to the EBC's 53 returning officers at locations around Trinidad, EBC chief elections officer Ramesh Nanan has said. A total of 137 seats in the 14 municipal corporations around Trinidad are being contested in the election.
The People's National Movement - now in Government - won eight corporations in the last 2013 Local Government polls. The United National Congress, now in Opposition, holds six.The PNM, which is contesting all 137 seats, has a full slate, including 90 newcomers and a large number of youths.
Commenting on the race, PNM PRO Stuart Young said, "We aim to hold our eight corporations - we target all others."
The PNM's lineup includes former UNC Cumuto-Tamana councillor Rajkumar Bhagaloo, who has joined the PNM and is contesting in the same area. Also with the PNM is Sharda Singh, daughter of deceased local government minister Dhanraj Singh, who served under the Basdeo Panday UNC regime. She is contesting in Montrose/Lange Park in the Chaguanas Borough Corporation area - one of the key election battlegrounds.
The Opposition UNC is also fielding a full slate, including a significant percentage of newcomers and youths. The entire team will be revealed at tonight's UNC meeting in Montrose, Chaguanas. UNC chairman David Lee said their star candidate is West Indies cricket legend Raphick Jumadeen, chairman of selectors for the T&T Cricket Board.
"A pillar of Marabella's community, he's contesting Marabella East in the San Fernando City Corporation," Lee said.
"We also have outstanding young people from sporting to cultural and professional backgrounds, including youth cricketer Adrian Ali - contesting Caroni Savannah Road - and singer Amit Sooknanan (Warner Village, Aranguez)."
He added, "We've continued our thrust for gender parity and empowerment with a significant number of female candidates and are confident of our team's ability to reclaim lost political ground and claim new territory."
The Independent Liberal Party, which launched its campaign yesterday, had received nominees for the Chaguanas and Sangre Grande corporations. But the ILP has decided to focus solely on all seats in the Chaguanas corporation, leader Rekha Ramjit said.
"I was pleasantly surprised at the nominee turnout we received but Chaguanas is our base. Our support is there. All eyes will be on Chaguanas in this election."
The Movement for Social Justice also launched its campaign in San Fernando yesterday for its target of two corporations and one seat. MSJ is contesting all seats in the Arima and Point Fortin corporations, as well as one seat in the Tunapuna/Piarco corporation - the Santa Rosa/Blanchisseuse seat.
MSJ leader David Abdulah said by the next Local Government elections, the MSJ will be in a better position to contest seats in each of the 14 corporations. The Congress of the People is fielding nine candidates in seats in San Fernando, Siparia and Tunapuna/Piarco.
Apart from newcomers, COP chairman Jamison Bahadur is contesting the Curepe/Pasea seat in the Tunapuna/Piarco area.The National Solidarity Assembly, comprising ex-sugar workers, is also expected to contest in Chaguanas and Sangre Grande and other seats.
Apart from parties, the EBC is also catering for independent candidates.