No tears were being shed in Mayaro for former MP Winston Gypsy Peters yesterday, even though he represented the constituency for 15 years. Instead, many expressed delight at his exit from the seat which is held by the People’s Partnership. “He should have gone long time,” was the sentiment expressed by residents yesterday when the T&T Guardian visited the Mayaro constituency.
On Tuesday Peters publicly announced his resignation from the UNC and as Community Development Minister at a media conference at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. Peters, who denied he was being bitter, said he was prompted to resign after being rejected as a candidate for the September 7 polls.
Ann Marie Rampaul, 45, of San Pedro, said she believed the Prime Minister listened to the cries of the constituents when Mayaro businessman Rushton Paray was selected as the UNC’s candidate. “I do not think she (Persad-Bissessar) was at fault at all. A lot of people did not want him to go back, a lot of people say they were not going to vote if he remained there.
“I am not sad to see him go. We never see him in our community. We have no tears for him at all,” she said. Sour grapes, that is how Hamida Mohammed, 54, of Mohammed’s Delicacies at Naparima Mayaro Road, described Peters’ accusations against Persad-Bissessar. She said she did not think Gypsy’s actions would affect the PP’s chances of retaining the Mayaro seat.
Balkissoon Bhagwandass, 52, of Mayaro, said he believed Peters’ resignation would only help the PP in the constituency. “That (resignation) was the best thing he do. If they (the People’s Partnership) didn’t have a chance to win now they do,” Bhagwandass said. Murray Persad, of Rio Claro, did not mince words as he defended the Prime Minister’s statement against Peters’ attacks. He claimed that Persad-Bissessar was an “ungrateful ingrate.”
“Gypsy is a hypocrite and he was the one who was very ungrateful. I supported him all the way, going back years now, but I was not going to vote for him if they put him up this time,” Persad said. Arnold Mano, 35, of Clear Water Village, Rio Claro, who openly declared his allegiance to the People’s National Movement (PNM) came to Peters’ rescue.
He said when he looked at the situation he could understand why Peters took the action he did. For doubles vendor Dolarie Vashti Sudama-Mohammed, 49, of Riverside Road, Poole, Peters’ resignation was long overdue.
“We were not pleased by him bad talking the Prime Minister. He should have leave long time. He never do nothing for us. We never really see him. Only since election start you see him coming around again,” Sudama-Mohammed lamented. Her customers, busily munching their doubles at San Pedro Junction, Rio Claro, mumbled in agreement.
“He do nothing for Mayaro. That is what you call performance? I don’t know nothing about the Prime Minister not giving he the funds, that is politics, just politics,” said a male customer as he jumped in his car after eating his doubles.