Faris Al-Rawi announces plans to go up for re-election

In a not-at-all-surprising announcement, Faris Al-Rawi says he intends to contest his San Fernando West seat again. Al-Rawi, who is also the Minister of Rural Development and  Local Government made the pronouncement this morning in the Parliament as he contributed to the Budget Debate. 

“Madam Speaker I have been the member of Parliament for San Fernando West for nine going on ten years. The last back-to-back MP was Errol Mahabir. I will be offering myself to the people of San Fernando West again should the party choose me,” he said as members of the government bench pounded their desks in approval. “We have a process to go through. I intend to fight my seat.”

The San Fernando West seat is considered a “marginal” seat in the country, meaning it could shift between the UNC or the PNM. 

Although screening has begun for the PNM, so far they have been for the seats currently held by the UNC like Fyzabad, Cumuto/Manzanilla and Moruga/Tableland. There has been no announcement about when screening will begin for the PNM-held seats, but traditionally that is done closer to the election. 

Al-Rawi then took a jab at the members of the Opposition bench, dubbed the “dissidents” saying they are in the “VSEP (Voluntary Separation Employee Programme) category.” He said Kamla Persad Bissessar said she will represent the 99% in the country, but 26% of her bench was absent from the debate. 

Al-Rawi spent much of his contribution defending the government’s policies laid out in the Budget, and called on the Opposition to support much of the legislation, including the crime-fighting legislation brought by the Government. 

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