Two days after he was jeered and booed by his own constituents, Princes Town South/Tableland MP Peter Taylor is out the election race. Prime Minister Patrick Manning confirmed this yesterday, shortly after delivering an address during the Youth For Christ Trinidad and Tobago Liberation Day celebration at Skinner Park, San Fernando. Speaking to reporters after, Manning said the hunt was on for a suitable candidate to contest the seat. "We have to accept the decision and we are trying to put alternatives in place," Manning said.
"He just thought the time had come. He had personal issues he was looking at," he continued, adding that the party would have no problems finding someone to replace Taylor. Manning said, however, he did not think that Taylor's decision to leave came as a result of the poor treatment he received from the Fifth Company Moruga residents on Wednesday. Sources said last night that Taylor had been asked to step down. The news candidate to be screened tomorrow for the seat, a man sources said, is from Arima. The residents, some of whom crossed their hands and clenched their fists in front of their faces, accused Taylor of poor representation.
Among the issues which they said received no attention from the incumbent were a lack of water, poor roads and drains. Claiming that he had failed them, the residents threatened to throw their support behind his rival, the UNC's Clifton de Coteau. Calls to Taylor's cellphone went unanswered. Manning in his short address, urged the youths to stay spiritually active and prepare themselves to be the leaders of tomorrow. "To follow Almighty God is the only road to take. I will tell you from my own experiences that you are going to be vilified for it; you are going to be denigrated for it; be ridiculed for it. "Stay strong, confident in the knowledge that you, indeed, are on the right track...."
–reporting by CORI BAYNES
