Political leader of the National Transformation Alliance (NTA) Gary Griffith says the party and its coalition will contest 15 or 16 seats in the April 28 general election,
The candidates will be presented officially in the next week or two, the former commissioner of police said.
Speaking to members of the media while on a walkabout along the Aranguez Main Road on March 22, Griffith said the seats were strategically selected by the NTA; Hope (Honesty, Opportunity, Performance and Empowerment) and Community Reformation Network (CRN).
The NTA will present 11 or 12 candidates, while Hope, led by Timothy Hamel-Smith, and non-governmental organisation CRN have also selected their candidates.
He said a third party could win a seat in a general election, as proved by Jack Warner who won Chaguanas West with his Independent Liberal Party in a 2013 by-election.
“I have a world of respect for both political leaders (UNC and PNM). I wish them well. I ask this election to be one that is clean, and above board. But again, there's strong hope and belief that the country is ready for a change, a positive change, a third option.”
He said that UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was “scampering” to get other political parties to join the UNC a month before the election was a sign that her “cut-tail book.”
“We don't need to be begging anyone. We are standing firm. We are standing on principle. We have seen third parties being used, abused and sidelined. We have no intention for political domestic violence, whilst, at the same time, we will always be willing to speak and communicate with all political parties.”
Dressed in a blue T-shirt, short pants and sneakers, Griffith shook hands with and took pictures with people along the Aranguez Main Road and side roads. People in their cars honked their horns or slowed down to wave, give him a thumbs up or shake his hand.
Some shouted encouragement saying, “Gary we want you back, Ah like yuh legs, and Yuh doing good.”
Griffith said his party had no manifesto which he described as a document full of empty promises since there was usually no indication of expenditure or how the party planned to gain income. He said it was impossible to fix every drain, road and lighting issue, so the NTA would not make such promises.
[caption id="attachment_1145653" align="alignnone" width="1024"] NTA political leader Gary Griffith, centre, during a walkabout along the Aranguez Main Road, on March 22.[/caption]
“What we are doing is not going to give a manifesto. We are putting a road map towards the transformation of TT. We are going to show how we intend to get income, how we intend to have expenditure, and how we are going to account for each and every cent in this country. What we are going to show is a difference. We are going to show transparency. We are going to show accountability, and we are going to measure performance.”
Griffith said he was bringing a degree of honesty and patriotism to politics. And just as he was able to transform the police service with his team, he and t
