She may be the youngest candidate in the People's Partnership coalition at 25 years old, but UNC member Stacy Roopnarine is no political novice.
Ever since she was a girl she has been involved in the UNC with her family. When she turned 17 she became an official member of the party and a campaign volunteer. Outside of politics she served as Vice Chair of the first UWI Student Branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. She is also a member of the Param Dhaam Ashram in Lachoos Road, Penal. Now, Roopnarine is ready to serve her country. She wants to win the Oropouche West seat which her party colleague Mikela Panday held for the last two years. Panday, as you may recall, was rejected as a candidate to contest the election by the UNC screening committee. "My mission is to utilise my knowledge and skills to humbly serve the people of T&T and greater mankind," Roopnarine told WomanWise. "Service to man is service to God."
With just a week before citizens face the polls on May 24, Roopnarine believes that it is her age that would work to her advantage in winning the favour of her constituents. "Not only would I be able to represent the people but I will also bring the voice of the youth to parliament which constitutes a large number of our population." An engineer at Digicel for the past five years, Roopnarine's life has changed tremendously since she threw her hat into the political ring. The campaign has not changed since Roopnarine was a girl, but now she is getting to see a different side of it as a candidate. Her schedule now includes walkabouts in the constituency during the day and meetings at night. The time in between, she said, is usually spent strategising, planning and preparing speeches. "The feedback (from her constituents) has so far been overwhelming. The people have been very welcoming to me."
Even those who had reservations about her replacing Panday have now warmed up to her, she said. "I think they have accepted that at the end of the day we are one party and they are seeing the bigger picture of uniting for change.
"I am looking forward to working with them and being able to represent them well." Some of the major problems currently plaguing the constituency, the residents have told her, include lack of water, lack of proper drainage and impassable roads. One of three daughters born to Yohan and Suzette, (her sisters are Sasha and Diana), Roopnarine has lived in Penal all her life. A former Iere High School student, she was the captain of the school's first girls' football team and later became a Grade C football referee through training from the TTFRA and SSFL. She no longer plays with a team but whenever she gets the time you can find Roopnarine on the field dribbling a ball with friends. Golfing, kayaking, reading and spending time with family and friends also occupy her leisure time.
If elected for the Oropouche West seat, Roopnarine says she wants to be a visible MP. "It is widely perceived that politicians are only present in their constituencies at election time. Whether this is true or not, I intend to ensure that I meet regularly with constituents of Oropouche West. "I believe that in order to be an efficient representative of the people you need to listen and consult with them on a regular basis." Roopnarine spoke highly about her political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar calling her an iconic woman. "I have the utmost respect for her," she said. The opportunity to be placed in a leadership position of MP this early in her life is not something that intimidates Roopnarine. In fact she readily embraces the possibility. "Leadership is not a role that is determined by age. "My goal is to make a positive impact in people's lives, and bring good representation to the people."