Let's now go live to Trinidad and Tobago with our correspondent Krystal Hoyte to learn more about this electoral date. Welcome, Krystal, from the south. What can you tell us?
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00:00Let's now go a bit deeper on the analysis of Trinidad and Tobago's election day.
00:05We are joined by research and education official Candice Zebro.
00:08Welcome to From the South, Ms. Candice.
00:12Hello, good day. Can you hear me?
00:15Candice, what are the defining issues driving voter sentiment in this election?
00:20Are there specific concerns that dominate the discourse?
00:24In these elections, there's a lot of contention.
00:29The PNM has been serving for the party groups.
00:33And at this point, we see the major opposition, the UNC, joining with what they're referring to as a coalition of interests.
00:42Now, over the past 10 years, we would have seen heightened insecurity, large elements of crime.
00:53As you know, we would have been under a state of emergency to deal with the increased number of murders.
01:00And also, we have a situation where many people would have been sent home.
01:06Now, I personally operate within the labor sector.
01:09So we would have seen a lot of attacks on this structural, this social fabric in terms of what is there to support the ordinary people.
01:21Many of them would have been sent home.
01:23And many of them would have had recourse to the labor sector due to the inability to have recognition.
01:29And also, there have been challenges in advancing some of the concerns in the industrial court.
01:35There was also the removal of the president of the court.
01:38Now, what we have, normally, the labor sector works closely with the movement for social justice, a political party that has decided that they will not be participating this year.
01:49However, there are two persons that would have come out of labor that have joined the coalition of interests because there is a very strong feeling on the ground that the PNM is disconnected with ordinary people.
02:03The PNM has, we've seen ministers receive a salary increase.
02:15So these are some of the major issues that have been facing people on the ground.
02:20And we know that there's a heightened level of frustration, even in terms of some foreign policies.
02:25For example, England or the United Kingdom, where we would have had a strong relationship, we would have seen that we would have seen that they would have removed our ability to enter into that country without visas, etc.
02:41Due to some concerns around insecurity.
02:46So the level of crime is a major concern, and I think it's a priority for all of us.
02:51And we see the continued advancement of neoliberal politics with the People's National Movement.
02:58And so the other options, there are many other smaller parties, but in Trinidad and Tobago, the main parties that have been operating continue to be the People's National Movement, which is the current administration.
03:11And of course, the United National Congress, and Stuart Young, who is our current prime minister, he has been newly appointed.
03:20And there's a strong campaign about the fact that he's young, he is one of the younger politicians, but there isn't a lot of confidence in his strength of leadership at this time.
03:32So a lot of people are looking at that. And there's also a party that comes out of, it's called the Patriotic Front.
03:41And she's the daughter of a well-recognized Labour leader called Pazio Pandey, who is also campaigning a lot.
03:49She's campaigning on the fact that we need something new. So she has also taken the forefront because her father was well-recognized, not only as a Labour leader, but also as a politician.
04:00And so she too is new, would be new in terms of her advancement within her political career with that level of leadership.
04:11So there are a lot of people who are observing what has been happening.
04:15The MSJ has stated clearly that they will not be supporting any particular party, but they do recognize that there's need for fundamental change on the ground.
04:23And ordinary people need to come back to the forefront and the interests of the masses of the people need to be soothed.
04:31As a CARICOM member, how do you envision other candidates addressing, together with CARICOM, regional challenges that the region is facing?
04:40Well, as a CARICOM member, we have had strong positions coming out of, I mean, the PNM has had a good relationship with the CARICOM over the past 10 years, and they have taken positions on, well, of course, national sovereignty and self-determination.
05:01And these are things that the PNM has generally been consistent on over the years.
05:07And one quick question, if neither party secures a clear majority, how might a minority or coalition government impact policy making in the country?
05:16Well, I suppose that all sorts of things, including myself, we would be a little nervous to see new administrations in terms of what we could get.
05:28Some may be hopeful, some may be nervous, some may have no confidence at all.
05:33But we have had coalition governments before.
05:36The last, from 20, I hope I get these dates right, I think it's 2010 to 2015, we would have had the People's Partnership, which was a coalition, which included the opposition at the time, which would have been the UNC, when Kamala Fasabi Sasa became the first female prime minister.
06:00So that is a possibility.
06:03It is a strong possibility.
06:06But of course, there would be many new faces as well that would be involved on the ground.
06:12But of course, persons who have been campaigning for a while and who have set forth their policies.
06:17So it will be a new introduction.
06:23So we wait to see what the result is going to be.
06:28Finally, looking ahead, Candice, how might this election shape Trinidad and Tobago's trajectory for the next decade?
06:35Well, for the next decade, we will have another election.
06:42But also, too, it is possible that there may be a shift in direction in terms of who is leading.
06:50However, I do think that based on the level of insecurity and the challenges within the economy, I do think that there may be some continuation of policies that are currently on the goal.
07:09But speaking as someone who is within the labor sector, we do have some major concerns that we hope to see advance based on the outcome of this election.
07:20And generally, we are hopeful that we will see advancements within the reintroduction and the restoration of things that we would have lost over the years.
07:32Thank you, Mike Candice, for your input and time here from the South and everything that is happening right now in Trinidad and Tobago on this election day.
07:39And thank you for having me.
07:42Thank you for having me.
07:43It was our pleasure.