As the electorate heads to the polls for the second time in forty six years, controversy remains at the center of the candidates fielded by the traditional PNC and PPP parties.
The PNC has shamefully been advertising, as candidate, Winston Harding as contestant t for the first-past-the-post seat in Constituency 13 (East and West Ruimveldt), in spite of a pending record for child molestation.
Oscar Clarke, who lives in Plum Park Sophia, remains on the list with address J11-949 Jackson and Edun Streets TUCVille, no occupation. Why is this relevant? He is registered at an address which is not his primary residence – not to mention that, as a Proportional Representative Candidate, he can be extracted as councilor – a level of functionality at which he has already demonstrated indisputable incompetence.
Sophia White Glencora, the niece of Volda Lawrence, Minister of Social Protection, is running as a First Past the Post Candidate in Constituency 11- East La Penitence/ Riverview. What’s wrong here is the same nepotism/stacking the deck that was chided when Rohee, Ramotar, Luncheon, and other PPP members placed their family members on ballots.
There is concern, too, that Monica Thomas, another PNCR candidate, lives in Cummings Lodge but is running in Lodge/Durban Backlands/Meadow Brook Gardens. Could it be that they got the Lodges mixed up?
And the woman, Abigail Baveghems, who infamously toileted on the PPP flag with some unenviable dexterity while still fully clad, is on the PNCR Proportional List which means she can be extracted as a councilor . Is she the best candidate that could have been fielded in that constituency? Is that the face the Party in that district?
A no confidence motion was passed against Junior Garrett by by his peers for the misappropriation of funds when he was chairman of the City Council Finance Committee, and for his collaboration with Carol Sooba to disregard the Coouncil’s decisions yet he has been placed on the ballot as candidate in Bel Air Gardens, Bel Air Springs, Prashad Nagar and North West Campbellville. Shamefully, this leaves the electorate chose between a candidate who is a known pilferer of public funds and the PPP.
Then there’s Linda Gomes Haley, registered at National Congress for Women but lives on the East Bank and Gregory Fraser who lives in Da Silva street Kitty and is registered and running in Wortmanville Werk en Rust area.
And to add to all of this, the PPP is fielding Robeson Benn Junior who is best reputed for charges against his girlfriend which include physical beating, threatening with a gun, rape, and beating in to miscarriage.
The last local government elections were in 1994.
The one immediately before that was in 1970.
Hopefully, the electorate makes enough noise before the Friday March 18th 2016 – which would be only the third time since 1970 that they will be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to elect those who will vote – to demand the removal of candidates who are ineligible in the constituencies that show discrepancies.
Forget the constitutional Claims and Objections period.
The law should not be cited to prevent the correction of that which is wrong because the law has already been broken with these candidates – and, in this case, with obvious calculation.
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