Newspaper columnist and lawyer Clarence Rambharat has been selected by the PNM’s to start working the grounds in the marginal Mayaro constituency for the upcoming general election. While his candidacy has not yet been confirmed, since the PNM does not make final confirmations until its special convention held on the day that it launches its general election campaign, Rambharat has been given the go ahead to work in the constituency.
His nomination was approved on Friday night by a screening committee, led by the PNM’s political leader Dr Keith Rowley and included general secretary Ashton Forde and MP for Diego Martin North Colm Imbert. The Sunday Guardian has been reliably informed that initially there were two potential candidates but one withdrew and the screening committee had to see only Rambharat.
Rambharat, who is also a law lecturer in Canada, has walked away from his job in Canada to fight the Mayaro seat. He is from Enid Village in Rio Claro, and attended Rio Claro Hindu School, then Presentation College, San Fernando. He lived in Rio Claro until he was 18 when he moved to pursue his LLB at the University of the West Indies and then a Legal Education Certificate at Sir Hugh Wooding Law School.
PNM sources said that Rambharat will be fighting in a constituency in which the PNM believes it is 2,500 votes behind. “We have to ignore the 2010 results and look at what happened before that time. We believe we are 2,500 votes behind and if you look at it we have been able to turn that around before,” the source said. In addition, this time around the constituency is united behind one candidate with Rambharat receiving the support of all 15 party groups.
He wrote on his Facebook page, “Last night when Dr Rowley addressed the Mayaro Constituency executive, he praised them for their unity and unwavering support for me. The other nominee withdrew and joined my campaign. The party's Screening Committee asked the questions and then unanimously approved my selection as candidate for Mayaro. And throughout, Clifford Campbell, his executive, and the party groups stood behind their choice. Around 8:30 pm I felt the weight of Mayaro shift onto our shoulders: the duty to represent and the responsibility to serve. “
Mayaro is represented by Winston Peters and he has said he intends to contest the election even though other names have been bandied about as potential candidates, including that of a well known supermarket executive.
Peters told the Sunday Guardian, “I have delivered more for the people of Mayaro than anyone in the past, and I am confident I will be contesting the next election for the UNC. If though they don’t want me, then that is up to them.”
