Calypsonian/businessman Iwer George wasn’t the only one donning a green ILP T-shirt and wearing broad smiles on Wednesday night in Chaguanas West.
George, giving a lusty thumbs-up to ‘photogs’ amid ILP supporters, was part of the full hall of supporters at Jack Warner’s meeting at Asja Boys College in his Chaguanas West seat. The PP had held a public meeting at the Asja Girls’ School, on the same compound, two weeks ago and that was packed also.
Warner’s meeting while not as jam-packed as PP’s, was, however, well attended— all chairs occupied, some folks milling around outside— in comparison to his meetings at Enterprise and La Paille last month when attendees numbered around 50 or so.
Wednesday’s Chaguanas West meeting attracted more than that, though unsurprising in the heat of the election campaign where Warner’s ten candidates have been lobbying the “ground” and he himself has now switched from bidding for his Chaguanas West area to seeking Chaguanas East, one of his main announcements at Wednesday’s meeting.
It may have been unsurprising also that Warner has decided to contest Chaguanas East following his meetings with gang leaders there last month when he attempted to broker peace and pledged to assist residents “win, lose or draw.” Many attendees at his meeting were young people including very young and tots with family members. There was little sign of traditional UNC type support, but moreso, predominantly. Afro-Trinidadian. Running second in the loudest cheers, which belonged to Warner, was a sizeable cheerleading posse backing Lopinot Bon Air West candidate Nigel Reyes.
Hanging on a banner behind the platform, was ILP’s election campaign slogan “Getting It Right” was set against a backdrop of printed instruction in red, yellow and white on how to do this in the various sectors.
Attendees appeared to be hyped by the ILP motorcade earlier in the day where Warner claimed there’s had been a report of a stone “being thrown” at a windscreen which he said was later proven to be untrue (But he related it anyway).
Warner billed the meeting as a reminiscing session in which he related his achievements with the PP and in Chaguanas West and he detailed his views correspondingly.
The UNC’s 15-seat result to PNM’s 21 seats in on election: “I did that,” he declared. Taking $1 monthly as salary since 2007: “I’ve gotten $96 from 2007 to date” In the heady days of PP planning, meeting with Kamla Persad-Bissessar up to the wee hours to work out operations: “Lagahoo... is the male term... laghen for females,” His departure from National Security in 2013:“‘I pack up two cardboard boxes from Carib and I gone...” On UNC candidate for Chaguanas West: “You know I stammer so if I make a mistake in the pronunciation, but if people want to change ‘Jack City’ (Chaguanas West) to Ganja....’Ganga City’ well...”
Warner added: “.....I was a true servant of the people, I understand representation....it’s time to pass the baton now to someone young and who lives in the area, people from Chaguanas East keep asking me to come there, (and) I should go and do for them what I did in Chaguanas West.”
His successor candidate for Chaguanas West, Amarnath Jagassar, alluding to the “serve the people principle”—PP’s line —claiming ILP was people oriented ILP deputy leader Rekha Ramjit marvelled at UNC’s candidates: “Like it have only one. Everywhere you go is only Kamla picture, like she running in all the seats—Her picture in all the UNC offices, ....She never talks of any minister so if she wants to take all the credit she must also take all the blame......What second term? She’s a one term leader. She doesn’t need another term to mess it up another time.”
She added: “When you have a Prime Minister under criminal probe, you have to find someone else to deal with crime .....you really think the PP deserves a second chance?” The reply from Warner’s followers. Loud and Clear: “Nooooooooo!”