THE MAN WHO WHIPPED AN AG

IN 1995, Razack Ali beat Attorney General Keith Sobion in the then-Ortoire-Mayaro constituency.

Ali, who was involved in the agricultural and lumber sectors, polled 8,944 votes, to Sobion’s 8,201.

That made Ali a political giant-killer of sorts, since Sobion had been a high-profile member of Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s five-year Cabinet.

Ali’s unlikely victory was one of 17 by the United National Congress, then led by its founder Basdeo Panday.

Panday became Prime Minister.

Ali had ties with Panday and associates in the left-leaning populist movement of the 1970s and 1080s which championed the cause of workers and the downtrodden.

As a result of that association, he was a primary proponent and organiser of United Labour Front in south-east Trinidad.

Upon his election to Parliament, he was made Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government.

He was said to be an effective representative of his rural constituency and a vigilant advocate in the local government sector.

He had earlier served as a councillor and as chairman of Rio Claro-Mayaro Regional Corporation.

Ali retreated from frontline politics after his parliamentary term of office but remained popular among the people.

Ali died last week after ailing for a fairly long period.

He was credited with being hard-working and committed to his constituents, his duties in the Local Government Ministry and the interests of the working class.

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray said that Ali “honourably served his large and diverse constituency.”

Paray added: “He worked to secure employment and education opportunities, and improve the infrastructure, healthcare and service by the various utilities.”