Outgoing chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, Terry Rondon, is disappointed that the People’s National Movement (PNM) was unable to hold on to the corporation.
The local government stalwart believes the party must go back to the drawing board and re-focus on serving the people.
He says what happened yesterday was less a rejection of the PNM itself, and more a statement that the way local government candidates are selected must change.
“No longer should we go to Baliser House and let party groups and MPs make the decision as to who are the candidates for the different electoral districts,” Terry Rondon states. “The party should go out into the vineyard—go out there and find out from the people whom they would like to represent them.”
He adds: “The people that you put there at times, they didn’t perform. People would tell me ‘ah waiting… ah waiting’. They’ve got to really and truly let the public—the people who are going to put their finger down for you—choose that candidate. People want to know that the representative does not only want them just for election time, but is really interested in serving the people.”
Terry Rondon says Sangre Grande has a history of changing hands between both major political parties.
However, he remains confident that when the 2020 General Elections come around, the constituency itself will remain in PNM hands.