Trinidad & Tobago is currently in the midst of a political euphoria as election day draws closer. Political parties are heavily campaigning to attract votes and every politician has an opinion on every issue. IslandEvents.com took the task to ask three questions to politicians aspiring for elected office. Read their responses below.
DR. ROODAL MOONILAL, United National Congress:
With much apathy among young voters, what would you do to get them to vote?
I would, as I have done, appeal to youths to consider their own circumstances, not that of the UNC or PNM, but their own lives. The one universal need of all young people is for jobs. The UNC has the track record of creating over 80,000 new jobs. In the next term we will create over 100,000 new jobs. You can get one! The youth must also consider crime. What use is it to have education and a job if you are unsafe and cannot go out of your home? There are "youths" who are "imprisoned" at home and cannot go out for fun and make a lime. The UNC is the party to deal with the criminal elements. Crime is a youth issue....today you are more scared of a 17-year-old than a 40-year-old.
How would you deal with the racial divide?
Creating racial harmony and unity cannot be done by the Centre of Ethnic Studies or NGO on Race and Culture. You can only have racial harmony and solidarity when all the people are treated equally, have equal access to jobs and are treated as citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Once people feel that T&T loves them, they will love their neighbours as well, there will be a pride in being Trini and an appreciation of all other Trini groups.
What would your party do to improve Trinidad & Tobago’s Carnival?
The UNC has a vision of developing the leading Carnival festival in the world. That requires strategic planning and a huge investment in marketing. We must re-focus on culture as international capital, more than internal folklore.
ROCKY GARCIA...Citizen's Alliance
With much voter apathy among young people, what would you do to get them to vote?Citizens Alliance is just trying to build communities, not just youths, but work together with everyone. It's real hard out here with all those old mentalities, but that's what we're here to change; get a new kind of thinking.
How would you deal with the racial divide?
Again, community. People have the community at hand. Once you get rid of the old thinking you can start to work and the old problems would start to go away.
What would your party do to improve Trinidad & Tobago's Carnival?
Right now we're not on that business. That is party thing, we're not on that right now, we're into serious things.
HEATHER SEDENO: People’s National Movement:
With much voter apathy among young people, what would you do to get them to vote?I would definitely mobilize and identify myself to the youths first. I am a young person, so the youths already identify with me.
How would you deal with the racial divide?
I'm a dougla, so it wouldn't be a problem for me!
What would your party do to improve Trinidad & Tobago's Carnival?
I would do a survey and based on the feedback, whatever the people say was wrong, I would deal with it.
