People’s National Movement (PNM) San Fernando West candidate Faris Al-Rawi has challenged Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal to leave their safe seats and fight him in the key marginal constituency.
Al-Rawi, who is the son of former MP Diane Seukaran, has been campaigning for the past year. His only opponent so far is independent candidate Jowelle De Souza.
The United National Congress (UNC) is yet to name a candidate but a source said the party was considering Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine as a prospective candidate. Congress of the People member Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan won the seat in 2010 but opted out of this year’s race.
Speaking at a cottage meeting at Southern Main Road, Marabella, on Wednesday night, Al-Rawi said he was confident he would win the seat. The audience cheered as he said the UNC was yet to find a suitable candidate to come up against him.
“I am putting out a challenge tonight. I am calling on the Prime Minister and Dr Roodal Moonilal to leave their safe seats and come and take me on,” Al-Rawi said.
“Come in San Fernando West and let me see what you are made of. Come and fight me. I eh fraid none of you,” he said.
The PNM candidate also promised that if he was elected as MP, flooding in Marabella would be eradicated. He said the PNM’s plan was to reform local government to make regional and municipal corporations function like the Tobago House of Assembly.
“When we produce a Tobago model, the people from every constituency will benefit. Ask yourself, if your mayor of San Fernando had a team of people who had the power to hire San Fernandians, do you not think the city will develop?”
Al-Rawi also revealed that there were also plans to do a social survey to look at levels of under-employment, unemployment and poverty. Al-Rawi urged the fence-line voters to give the PNM a chance.
He noted that Government had spent $400 billion since it came into office in 2010 yet thousands of people continue to suffer. Candidate for Oropouche East Terry Jadoonanan and Pointe-a-Pierre candidate Neil Mohammed also addressed the audience.