skl
10-03-2007, 07:40 AM
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl ... =161210875 (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161210875)
People's National Movement (PNM) supporters in Sangre Grande disrupted the commissioning of a new branch of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) yesterday, protesting the party's choice of candidate for the Toco/Sangre Grande seat.
Candidate Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj was chosen from the five people screened for the area. The others were Anil Juteram, Ronald Boynes, Eric Taylor and Wayne Joseph.
"The PNM deceitful to we. We don't want she. Anybody else but she. We don't want no crapaud," were the loud remarks made from the small group as the function took place, causing heads to turn in amazement. "All yuh not giving we a hearing. We vote for all yuh. We want Manning to come to Grande." The group was even passing out flyers, which read: "We love PNM. We not voting this candidate. We are proud of you, Mr Prime Minister. Give us a candidate who will bring home the seat. If you love Toco/Sangre Grande, you will respect our views."
Prime Minister Patrick Manning was scheduled to give the feature address at the function. However, Labour Minister Danny Montano replaced him because he had to be at the PNM's party screening at Balisier House in Port of Spain. Sports Minister Roger Boynes, who is the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Toco/Manzanilla, was also present at the function.
As the commotion continued, his brother, Ronald Boynes, tried reasoning with the angry crowd. But the calls for Ojah-Maharaj's removal did not subside. The police even tried to calm the crowd, as several members of the gathering asked them to. But as Ojah-Maharaj bravely took to the podium to give the closing remarks, the calls only got louder.
"Come down from there. We don't want you. You have to go. Anybody else but you."
Spokesperson for the group, Ralph Miners, told the Express that Ojah-Maharaj had done nothing for the area. "She's not a people's choice. She has no co-operation and she has shown total disrespect to African people," he claimed. "The PNM is using her to gain the Hindu votes because the seat is no longer Toco/Manzanilla, it has become a marginal seat. They want to gain the Indian votes while they using the N**** votes."
The group is calling anyone of the other candidates to be screened.
"If Manning is going to play dictator for Toco/Sangre Grande comes election day the people will talk. He might watch us as a handful of people but he will see how effective this handful is. If we don't get a candidate that we want, then we moving to COP like the other PNM supporters," he threatened.
Ojah-Maharaj declined to comment on the calls for her to step down but said, "I have been getting tremendous support."
MP for the area, Roger Boynes, said the party had already met with some of the PNM activists and will be meeting with the others tomorrow to sort out the issue.
"We will bringing everyone together and at the end of the day we will be working collectively together to ensure that this seat remains with the People's National Movement," said Boynes.
http://guardian.co.tt/news1.html
Scores of protesting PNMites from Laventille East, Tunapuna and Point Fortin lined the block outside the People’s National Movement (PNM) Balisier House headquarters in Port-of-Spain yesterday, for a second time, to emphasise support for their incumbent MPs.
They repeated the actions they took last Thursday at the same venue.
However, they were met by heavier security and police presence yesterday, and were barred from entering the compound. Security officers at Balisier House were only allowing people to enter according to a list of names from which they checked off entrance.
PNM leader Patrick Manning arrived at 1 pm, ahead of protesters, to meet with a group of activists before beginning screening at 3 pm. The supporters began protesting around 2.30 pm. Manning’s security also closely guarded the entrance to Balisier House.
PNMite Mohammed Shabazz—of Laventille East—and Ian Seaton complained bitterly of being shut out of Balisier House. “If it was Panday he would have never do that...PNM lock out PNM supporters,” Seaton said. “Dookeran would have never do that. Eric Williams would have never do that. This is an insult to the people.”
As more PNM supporters converged on Balisier House by 430 pm, an extra contingent of police was brought in on standby. Police also put up iron barricades along the entrance to Balisier House, so demonstrators had absolutely no access to the compound of the party headquarters This increased the complaints of supporters. Shabazz also said, “(Fitzgerald) Hinds has to get through as the candidate, because if Manning win on this one, he will break the backbone of the PNM which is Laventille.
“So Hinds must prevail in this...This is a test for Laventille and the PNM,” he added.
The protesters who arrived by maxi taxi all throughout the afternoon held up newly-made placards and banners stressing support for the incumbents—Tunapuna MP Edward Hart and Laventille East’s Fitzgerald Hinds.
A small group also came to support two of the new nominees from Point Fortin.
The largest banner read: “Tunapuna is Eddie Hart.” Other placards showed support for Hart from Fairley Street, Acono, Wharf Trace and D Zone.
Prospective candidates who showed up for screening up to 4 pm included Anthony Bridgelalsingh, Pradesh Maharaj, Marlon Richards, former Point Fortin mayor Francis Bertrand and Paul Gopee (Point Fortin), Donna Cox (Laventille East), Ester Le Gendre (Tunapuna).
Bertrand said the sooner the PNM family heals, the better the party’s position would be for the election.
People's National Movement (PNM) supporters in Sangre Grande disrupted the commissioning of a new branch of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) yesterday, protesting the party's choice of candidate for the Toco/Sangre Grande seat.
Candidate Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj was chosen from the five people screened for the area. The others were Anil Juteram, Ronald Boynes, Eric Taylor and Wayne Joseph.
"The PNM deceitful to we. We don't want she. Anybody else but she. We don't want no crapaud," were the loud remarks made from the small group as the function took place, causing heads to turn in amazement. "All yuh not giving we a hearing. We vote for all yuh. We want Manning to come to Grande." The group was even passing out flyers, which read: "We love PNM. We not voting this candidate. We are proud of you, Mr Prime Minister. Give us a candidate who will bring home the seat. If you love Toco/Sangre Grande, you will respect our views."
Prime Minister Patrick Manning was scheduled to give the feature address at the function. However, Labour Minister Danny Montano replaced him because he had to be at the PNM's party screening at Balisier House in Port of Spain. Sports Minister Roger Boynes, who is the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Toco/Manzanilla, was also present at the function.
As the commotion continued, his brother, Ronald Boynes, tried reasoning with the angry crowd. But the calls for Ojah-Maharaj's removal did not subside. The police even tried to calm the crowd, as several members of the gathering asked them to. But as Ojah-Maharaj bravely took to the podium to give the closing remarks, the calls only got louder.
"Come down from there. We don't want you. You have to go. Anybody else but you."
Spokesperson for the group, Ralph Miners, told the Express that Ojah-Maharaj had done nothing for the area. "She's not a people's choice. She has no co-operation and she has shown total disrespect to African people," he claimed. "The PNM is using her to gain the Hindu votes because the seat is no longer Toco/Manzanilla, it has become a marginal seat. They want to gain the Indian votes while they using the N**** votes."
The group is calling anyone of the other candidates to be screened.
"If Manning is going to play dictator for Toco/Sangre Grande comes election day the people will talk. He might watch us as a handful of people but he will see how effective this handful is. If we don't get a candidate that we want, then we moving to COP like the other PNM supporters," he threatened.
Ojah-Maharaj declined to comment on the calls for her to step down but said, "I have been getting tremendous support."
MP for the area, Roger Boynes, said the party had already met with some of the PNM activists and will be meeting with the others tomorrow to sort out the issue.
"We will bringing everyone together and at the end of the day we will be working collectively together to ensure that this seat remains with the People's National Movement," said Boynes.
http://guardian.co.tt/news1.html
Scores of protesting PNMites from Laventille East, Tunapuna and Point Fortin lined the block outside the People’s National Movement (PNM) Balisier House headquarters in Port-of-Spain yesterday, for a second time, to emphasise support for their incumbent MPs.
They repeated the actions they took last Thursday at the same venue.
However, they were met by heavier security and police presence yesterday, and were barred from entering the compound. Security officers at Balisier House were only allowing people to enter according to a list of names from which they checked off entrance.
PNM leader Patrick Manning arrived at 1 pm, ahead of protesters, to meet with a group of activists before beginning screening at 3 pm. The supporters began protesting around 2.30 pm. Manning’s security also closely guarded the entrance to Balisier House.
PNMite Mohammed Shabazz—of Laventille East—and Ian Seaton complained bitterly of being shut out of Balisier House. “If it was Panday he would have never do that...PNM lock out PNM supporters,” Seaton said. “Dookeran would have never do that. Eric Williams would have never do that. This is an insult to the people.”
As more PNM supporters converged on Balisier House by 430 pm, an extra contingent of police was brought in on standby. Police also put up iron barricades along the entrance to Balisier House, so demonstrators had absolutely no access to the compound of the party headquarters This increased the complaints of supporters. Shabazz also said, “(Fitzgerald) Hinds has to get through as the candidate, because if Manning win on this one, he will break the backbone of the PNM which is Laventille.
“So Hinds must prevail in this...This is a test for Laventille and the PNM,” he added.
The protesters who arrived by maxi taxi all throughout the afternoon held up newly-made placards and banners stressing support for the incumbents—Tunapuna MP Edward Hart and Laventille East’s Fitzgerald Hinds.
A small group also came to support two of the new nominees from Point Fortin.
The largest banner read: “Tunapuna is Eddie Hart.” Other placards showed support for Hart from Fairley Street, Acono, Wharf Trace and D Zone.
Prospective candidates who showed up for screening up to 4 pm included Anthony Bridgelalsingh, Pradesh Maharaj, Marlon Richards, former Point Fortin mayor Francis Bertrand and Paul Gopee (Point Fortin), Donna Cox (Laventille East), Ester Le Gendre (Tunapuna).
Bertrand said the sooner the PNM family heals, the better the party’s position would be for the election.