Twin Towns Nomination Day Sedated
There are four mayoral hopefuls for the San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town Council; Marconi Matus of the P.U.P., Earl Trapp for the U.D.P.; Rudy Wade for the B.P.P. and Independent Candidate Lupita Ferguson. The P.U.P. and U.D.P. have full slates and they showed up with music, flags, chanting through the streets of the western towns. The numbers, from all accounts, are smaller than in the past, but the incumbent U.D.P. showed up with a bit more steam than the P.U.P. in an area known as the red hills. News Five’s Andrea Polanco was in the west today and has more.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The fan-fare in San Ignacio and Santa Elena was, to many, underwhelming compared to past Nomination Day. Of the two camps, the U.D.P. managed to flex a bit more political muscle and outnumbered the PUP. The PUP kicked off the nomination day with a motorcade through the principal streets of the twin towns, after which they made the P.U.P. Seven official. The U.D.P. followed the same process. Donned in their red gears and waving flags, the supporters made their way downtown for the U.D.P. Seven to be nominated. The mayoral hopefuls share first impressions of today’s proceedings.
Earl Trapp
Earl Trapp, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, San Ignacio/Santa Elena
“This is about half of what we will garner by the end of the day.”
Andrea Polanco
“Approximately, how many people yuh think yuh bring out today?”
Earl Trapp
“At this time, I haven’t really checked but we are anticipating fifteen hundred for today.”
Marconi Matus
Marconi Matus, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, San Ignacio/Santa Elena
“We didn’t invite people. These people are our campaigners. We thought it was going to rain and actually right now it is raining. The people are afraid to come out because this Government really victimizes people, a lot of them have family who work in Government, and they are afraid. And yes I have to accept, we didn’t have much people.”
But both candidates say they have reasons to feel confident going into the municipal elections on March seventh. Trapp and Matus say they will deliver the twin towns.
Earl Trapp
“I feel very confident, more confident than the last election. The reason being, before the last elections we were going house to house campaigning and even though the people allowed us into their homes, the welcome wasn’t as warm as this time. And they are attributing it to the fact that this municipality or this town council have done a lot in the past three years in terms of infrastructural development, job creation, youth development and helping single parent mothers.”
Andrea Polanco
“What will you be doing on the ground for these last two weeks?”
Earl Trapp
“As per normal, before that I will say that since we assumed office in 2015 we have been operating like a progressive party and that spirit has never stopped. It never died and since we are in the spirit of elections, I can tell you that we will campaign right up to the last ballot being casted.”
Andrea Polanco
“So you’re predicting a win for the U.D.P. here in San Ignacio/Santa Elena?”
Earl Trapp
“Definitely. We will win all three constituencies. Definitely.”
Andrea Polanco
“A landslide or something closer?”
Earl Trapp
“Well, since the other major party is predicting a three to one over us. I am predicting the same for us. We will give them a three to one; that will be the final.”
Marconi Matus
“People are ready for a change. We have been on the ground for about five months now here in San Ignacio and Santa Elena. The feeling is very great. The people are being receptive. The people are welcoming us into their homes and they say it is time for a change. We believe we are going to deliver here in San Ignacio and Santa Elena. Right now I feel very, very confident that we will deliver San Ignacio and Santa Elena. We have been on a platform. We have been telling them we believe in transparency and accountability and that is what we are going to bring to the people of San Ignacio and Santa Elena.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
