Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar wasn’t the only “star” spotlight of Monday’s UNC Forum in Barataria.
While none of the others were on the platform with her, they were still very much a part of proceedings. First off former St Joseph MP and dismissed Justice Minister Herbert Volney who sat in a front-row seat—though to the side—made it clear he was there to help.
Briefly with Jack Warner’s ILP and appearing on the Alliance of Independents’ first meeting in March, on Monday, however, Volney was back to his UNC roots. Sporting a lemon shirt with a UNC logo, Volney told the T&T Guardian: “The Prime Minister said all hands are to be on deck and I felt it is my duty to come back out to support her and do everything in my power to see the election of Vasant Bharath as my successor in St Joseph.”
“And to make sure Keith Rowley does not become the Prime Minister of T&T,” he stressed.
It also seemed clear another dismissed minister—Glenn Ramadharsingh—wants to be part of the effort. Nominees for his Caroni Central seat were screened last Friday. Hoping for announcement of success, a group of his Caroni Central supporters with large banners and a music truck had come to the forum, took up position in the centre aisle of the packed Barataria South Secondary School auditorium where supporters yelled, tooted, waved and wined their support (the latter, a Point Fortin group).
Some Caroni Central members wore the hats UNC supporters have sported recently—but in black with a yellow band. At meeting’s end, they may have been disappointed. Some walked out before the finish, apparently having learned no candidate announcements were forthcoming although the PM had been announcing candidates at the end of recent forums. (UNC’s Rodney Charles said last Friday’s screening wasn’t completed, hence no announcements.)
The night’s other character, a yellow Chicken Little impersonator wearing a red PNM T-shirt gave a strutting contribution in the centre aisle, which turned into a brief scuffle—while the PM was speaking—when a UNC supporter tried to take his head off and reclothe him in a UNC jersey.
The audience’s guffaws at that, however came while the Prime Minister was lamenting the death of police constable Sherman Maynard in last Friday’s jailbreak. The television audience, unable to see Chicken Little being “converted” (strenuously), might have wondered why the auditorium audience seemed lighthearted.
Area MP Fuad Khan, urging supporters to ensure the East-West corridor was taken, did his own comparison of the two leaders in the election race. His personal favourite of naturally:
“What do you get with the Prime Minister? I know we’ll get a good-looking woman with a melodious voice and who knows how to go to the ‘ground” and give love. You ever see Keith Rowley kissing anybody or hugging them?!”
Shouted “Nos!!!’ in reply.
UNC campaign manager Rodney Charles took on and tossed back the attacks which had emanated from PNM’s Arima platform.
“Where can you find more bacchanal than on a PNM platform?!” he declared, accusing Rowley of encouraging it. In full Do-So-May-Not-Necessarily-Like-So mode and anyone had forgotten PNMite Camille Robinson Regis’ “credit card” spending woes, he provided a detailed dose of reminders.
The PM, in her turn, brought good news for security forces on settlement of wage negotiations and bad news for supporters in her claims that Rowley’s Rapid Rail and other pet projects might be funded by “increasing VAT and/or cutting in other areas.” She lobed that campaign missile ahead of PNM’s south meeting last night where PNM would have had to deny, clarify/explain.
Her declaration as on previous night: “It will be me or Keith Rowley....my plan or his lack of plan!”