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Kamla popular for T&T elections

Apr 15, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
Trinidad is likely to have elections on May 24. It is not clear yet which party will win as the contest look evenly balanced if the opposition is to unite and the leaders of the opposition told the media they will unite but have to work out the modalities for unity.
The findings of the latest NACTA poll show that supporters of the combined opposition prefer UNC leader Kamla Persad Bissessar over COP leader, Winston Dookeran, to lead any opposition alliance against the incumbent PNM.
If the opposition were to form an accommodation and if the UNC itself were to be united, it will give the PNM a run for its money.
Long time political figure Basdeo Panday has not filed for a seat in the UNC, the party he founded in 1989 and has not stated whether he plans to campaign for his party.
The NACTA poll finds that UNC supporters want all their MPs, including Panday, to end their infighting and unite behind Kamla, feeling confident that a united UNC may be victorious in the general elections even without an electoral accommodation with the COP, a breakaway faction of the UNC.
However, UNC supporters are supportive of an electoral accommodation with the COP feeling it will strengthen the opposition’s chances of victory.
The findings of the poll also show the UNC making gains at the expense of the COP which has been steadily losing support ever since Kamla won the UNC leadership three months ago with the COP now only a fraction of its original self.
The poll finds most of the Indian supporters of the COP have returned to the UNC to bolster the party’s strength against the ruling PNM and Kamla is the overwhelming favourite to lead an alliance.
Asked if they endorse an accommodation between UNC and COP, 84% of the supporters of the UNC answered affirmatively but they are opposed to the party losing its identity.
And almost every UNC supporter backs Kamla for leadership of any electoral alliance. COP supporters are not so enthusiastic for an electoral accommodation unless their party is given a fair number of “safe” or winnable seats. And COP supporters are also divided on leadership of an alliance with nearly half backing their leader Winston Dookeran over Kamla as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Respondents describe Dookeran as a man of integrity, decency, simplicity, competence, and honesty. He is particularly well liked among non-Indians and the business community and will add strength to any alliance.
However, among all opposition supporters, Kamla trounces Dookeran for Prime Ministerial leadership of any accommodation arrangement 70% to 24%. Kamla is viewed as more charismatic with greater appeal than Dookeran among traditional opposition supporters.
The poll also shows that almost every Indian supporter of the UNC wants Kamla to take necessary measures to end the internal feuding within the UNC and unite the party for the elections. Several MPs had not backed Kamla as Opposition Leader after she won the party’s internal elections.
Rumours say the new party executive does not want to give seats to seven MPs who had refused to back Kamla as Opposition Leader.
The general feeling is Kamla should take measures to bring about reconciliation and healing within the UNC.
Vishnu Bisram

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