Why Small Parties Need Kamla

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AZP News Commentary

By Dr Neil Gosine

WITH the general elections scheduled soon, the political atmosphere becomes more intense. While the two major parties like the People’s National Movement (PNM) and the United National Congress (UNC) are geared up to be dominant forces, everyone now it seems is looking to start up a small party to negotiate something with the UNC as they struggle to break through.

They all recognise that forming alliances becomes an important strategy for them to have any play in the landscape of the political arena.

The UNC, with its better management skills and where we always see that they have a better handle on the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago when there are in power, carries a brand that resonates particularly with the Indo-Trinidadian population.

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Smaller parties realise that they lack the resources to effectively campaign across all the constituencies. So many of them know they would benefit from aligning with a political entity that already has an established base. Everyone wants to partner with the UNC, so they can be part of a larger network of supporters, benefitting from the party’s political machinery and support base.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar (KPB), the leader of the UNC, continues to be a formidable force who commands significant respect and loyalty from a core base of voters. Her leadership remains central to the party’s identity. For small parties that do not have recognisable leaders risk the chance of carrying little influence with the voters and that is why many know that a coalition with her and the UNC can trigger what they need to attract a voter base that they do not have access to and it can also help persuade the undecided voters.

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Winning the marginal seats like St Joseph, San Fernando West, La Horquetta/Talparo, Moruga/Tableland and Tunapuna often requires consolidating the votes rather than splitting it among multiple smaller candidates. If the parties choose to go it alone they most likely will cause problems and lose the seat, which only benefits the larger parties like the PNM.

That’s why we are seeing so much jostling for recognition and campaigning to join up with the UNC. By doing this the smaller parties can focus on running in constituencies where they have the best chances of success if they join with the UNC and has the UNC’s backing.

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The citizens all know that the UNC is a well-established party, that has the funding, the machinery networks, and have access to media that can elevate the profile of coalition candidates. Campaign financing, advertisement, and voter network is just more manageable under a larger UNC network, which everyone knows are the key components to win the elections.

The UNC’s organisational capacity is second to none under KPB and its voter base in certain key constituencies make them the only choice for the smaller parties to have a fighting chance in these battlegrounds. They are also trustworthy and that’s why all the smaller parties are fighting to be the front runners to joint up in a coalition with the UNC.

A unified attack by aligning with the UNC is the main reason to keep pressure on the PNM, a party that has governed Trinidad and Tobago for a long period of time of its post-independence history. The fact is that the upcoming elections will be a contest between those who want to continue under the PNM failed leadership and those who recognize that we can’t continue like this and that we need change. For small parties, the only alternative against the PNM is a coalition as they can’t battle them alone. An alignment with the UNC and KPB, makes them capable to fight in this battle with a united opposition movement.

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We can’t be looking at splitting votes with this crucial elections at stake. That’s why it’s also important for the UNC to choose the right partner, the right small party to ensure their success and also not at the same time turn away loyal supporters that have toiled for years in the party.

A united front will stand a better chance of capturing the voters and converting that into electoral success. While some smaller political parties have some influence in the marginals, they face great obstacles in the upcoming general elections if they decide to go it on their own.

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A coalition with KPB and the UNC is the only way they can benefit from the UNC’s strong brand, resources, and election machinery.

A united opposition has a far better chance of challenging the PNM party. However, KPB must think long and hard on how she structures a strategic alliance with any small party and the UNC. There’s the risk of alienating her loyal followers who have worked for years under her leadership. So striking the right balance now is not only crucial but must also be beneficial to the UNC so that the party can attain the reigns of power again.

Neill Gosine is an insurance executive, sometimes a temporary Opposition Senator, an ex-treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NP). He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration MBA, BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited

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