and put off LG polls
PRIME MINISTER Dr. Keith Rowley is concerned about his People’s National Movement (PNM) losing major strongholds in the forthcoming Local Government election.
As a result, Rowley has consulted his political inner circle about possibly putting off the polls.
The triennial election is due on December 2, but could be constitutionally held up to three months later.
If Rowley opts for a postponement, he is likely to schedule the polls after Carnival, which would be held on February 20 and 21.
Any further delays would require a majority parliamentary vote.
If the election is put off, it would be the first under Rowley’s national leadership not held on schedule.
It would also place him in the company of Patrick Manning, who, as Prime Minister, postponed Local Government elections on three successive occasions.
Manning’s reason was planned reform to the LG sector, but this has not taken place.
Rowley would offer a similar justification if he chooses to defer the election date.
The PNM had promised LG reform in its 2015 general election manifesto.
There is proposed legislation awaiting parliamentary debate.
Rowley told the media last week: “We are committed to making local government reform, to bring local government into the modern era.”
Asked whether the election would be postponed, he said: “Maybe, maybe not.”
PNM insiders say the party’s top brass is concerned about protests around the country over the state of roads and bridges.
Among other places, demonstrations have taken place in the stronghold of Point Fortin, and at Sangre Grande, which the PNM is hoping to wrest from United National Congress (UNC).
In his budget address on September 26, Finance Minister Colm Imbert is scheduled to announce major spending on infrastructural improvement.
But the PNM’s leadership has noted that significant remedial works would not be completed within three months.
The rehabilitation programme would be severely affected by the current shortage of bitumen, a vital ingredient in road repairs.
The Government is currently importing bitumen because of the inability of deficit-ridden Lake Asphalt to satisfy market needs.
Crime and high unemployment have also affected the PNM’s standing in the country.
Several political analysts have said the party is “vulnerable” in upcoming elections.
While mulling on the poll date, Rowley has held discussions with executives at a city-based advertising agency on the proposed election theme.
He told the advertising officials that, on the hustings, PNM would argue that it had to spend money on Covid-19-related matters and was, therefore, unable to upgrade roads.
He publicly offered that argument at a public meeting held by the ruling party at Belmont three weeks ago.
“The Government acknowledges that the roads in this country would have deteriorated considerably,” he said.
“You know why? Because in 2020 and 2021, we spent the money keeping you alive and there was not sufficient money to spend on road repairs.”
But critics argue that the Government has not accounted for three loans totalling $9 billion, from the Development Bank of Latin America, also called CAF, specifically for road repairs.
In addition, the Government has apportioned funds to the Ministry of Works and Transport, whose agencies include PURE, which is assigned to road repairs.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development also receives allocations for infrastructural works.
A newly-established special purposes State enterprise is to be assigned $100 million for similar purposes.
Sunshine Today previously reported that this company would focus heavily on the Sangre Grande region in an effort to woo votes in that toss-up district.
The PNM narrowly lost the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation in the December 2, 2019 Local Government election.
In the hotly-contested 2019 poll, the PNM and UNC each won seven municipalities.
PNM got 72 of the 139 seats, a decline of 11 electoral districts from the previous election.
UNC won the popular vote, with 202,584 votes or 54.38 percent of those cast.
Well-placed sources say the PNM hierarchy, including Chairman Imbert, is worried that any reversals in the LG poll would give UNC momentum heading to the 2025 general election.
The ruling party is also monitoring Gary Griffith’s newly-formed National Transformation Alliance and whether it would make an impact along the East-West Corridor.
The Local Government legislation is expected to be taken to the House of Representatives at the conclusion of the Budget debate.
If Rowley decides on the election postponement, he is expected to make the announcement during the LG debate.
