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FORMER UNC Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial believes the PDP poses a real threat to both the PNM and the UNC.
She urged the PDP to become a national party rather than politically limit itself to Tobago.
Ramdial based her argument on a comparison of the PDP's performance in Monday's Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election to the UNC's performance in party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's motion of no confidence in National Security Minister Stuart Young, and its performance in Monday's five local government by-elections
Referring to the six-six electoral deadlock in Tobago, Ramdial recalled, "The political gurus predicted that PNM would win the THA elections, a whitewash as some called it."
She said this was based on developments taking place in the run-up to the election, such as the arrival of the fast ferry APT James and the imminent arrival of a second ferry, the Buccoo Reef.
"However, the PDP pulled level with good strategy, having been on the ground constantly since the last THA elections, they knew the people were concerned about real issues."
Ramdial said corruption allegations raised by the PDP such as the controversial zipline project and complaints from the Auditor General about getting accurate accounts from the THA "were among the blows dealt from the hustings."
While incumbent Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis remains in office for the moment, Ramdial said there is "no easy answer" as to how the deadlock in the assembly can be resolved.
She claimed, "The PNM is at a crossroads in Tobago. The people are fed up, they want real representation."
Ramdial argued that if the PDP continues its current momentum it could win the Tobago East seat in the next general election. She also said the PDP has proved it can perform better against the PDP than the UNC can.
In the by-elections, Ramdial said the UNC has nothing to celebrate in winning the Arima Central district while retaining Hindustan/St Mary's and Cunupia. She said the selection of a popular candidate in Sheldon Garcia, "who inspired confidence in the electorate," was the only reason the UNC took Arima Central from the PNM.The gap between the PNM and UNC was only 75 votes, she pointed out.
" It was not race, nor loyalty to party or leader but rather the belief that this son of the area would solve their problems."
[caption id="attachment_869985" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ramona Ramdial -[/caption]
Ramdial said the "further crumbling of the Opposition" since last August's general election was evident in the motion of no confidence in Young in the House of Representatives last Wednesday.
She claimed Persad-Bissessar "was weak and presented a disappointment to the families of stranded TT nationals who were hoping to hear her speak of the unfair process, to give real-life accounts of those stranded and to propel the case to have our nationals returned at long last."
Ramdial also said it was clear that many of the UNC MPs who contributed after Persad-Bissessar in the debate were "properly trounced by the Government’s better prepared defence."
As a former director of the UNC's party school from 2010-2015, Ramdial said not only did the motion fail to show that Young was failing in his duties, it also failed to garner public support for Persad-Bissessar and the UNC. She also opined that "the novice (UNC) MPs are in dire need of specialist training for their parliamentary debates."
With most people expressing disappoinment with the PNM and UNC, Ramdial said, "Certainly the PDP and their ‘win’ is the most exciting development in our political landscape since 2010 and has given hope for better governance not just in Tobago but in Trinidad as well."
She said she would tell the PDP, "Come to Trinidad and build yourselves into a national party, the time is right to fix our governance conundrum, as the people have called upon you to fix Tobago’s!”
In a letter to the editors of newspapers, Ramona's former fellow UNC minister Harry Partap joined her criticism of the UNC's performance in the debate on the no-confidence motion. Calling it pathetic, he wrote that it "confirmed the oft-stated view that the present Opposition is one of the weakest to sit in Parliament since 1956."
It revealed, he said, "an absolute lack of planning" an exposed the parliamentary arm's political immaturity and apparent lack of guidance from the party leader or "the experienced Dr Roodal Moonilal."He singled out the leader of the Opposition, saying "sadly, (she) exposed her incompetence by not fact-checking the information she received on the 17 diplomats who received exemptions for travel."
He described the Opposition’s arguments as "repetitive, disjointed" and lacking substance. He also suggested UNC speakers digressed and should have focused on Young's record on covid19 and known that "18 speakers talking about covid exemptions, Coast Guard boats, the helicopter issue and crime, without new information, would have run afoul of the Standing Orders."
They were easily derailed when government MPs raised objections, and "appeared anxious to be saved by the clock whenever they faced interruptions."
Partap concluded, in an apparent show of support for the PNM, "It would seem to me that the Opposition motion of no confidence really turned out into an actual vote of confidence in Mr Young. He must now continue to keep us safe."
 
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