Can Cummings make La Horquetta/Talparo a PNM safe seat?

Kejan Haynes
Lead Editor- Newsgathering

Foster Cummings came in for high praise from his Cabinet colleagues last week, who described him as, “brave” and “relentless,” and “constantly pushing” for more for his constituency of La Horquetta Talparo. The praise led Communications Minister and MP for Diego Martin Central Symon De Nobriga to declare, ” this constituency will never be considered marginal again.”

De Nobriga was speaking at the opening of the La Horquetta Public Library in the heart of Cummings’ constituency. 

“I think [he is] constantly pushing the envelope for the way that young people in this country see themselves and for his constituents of La Horquetta Talparo,” De Nobriga said. 

When Cummings faces the  PNM screening committee today,  he does so unopposed, even as some other PNM MPs in PNM safe seats are facing challenges. The La Horquetta Talparo seat was wrested from the UNC’s Jairam Seemungal in the 2015 election by Maxie Cuffie who, stepped down at the end of the term due to health challenges. Cummings won the seat in the 2020 election in a close race against the UNC’s Jearlean John, and has spent much of his tenure working in the densely populated, PNM leaning, La Horquetta and Greenvale areas. 

On November 18, Cummings turned the sod to mark the start of construction of a new Youth Development Centre, at the corner of Victor Bruce Circular and Ahamad Charles Crescent in La Horquetta.

Outside of La Horquetta though, several areas, including Mamoral, which tend to vote UNC, have criticised and accused Cummings of neglecting them, as they often complain of dilapidated roads in the area, which they’ve held fiery protests for in the past. 

Also speaking at the event was Camille Robinson Regis who was a former MP for La Horquetta as well, who said Cummings did even more advocacy than she did in the constituency. 

“First of all, I did not say it on a public platform so that the prime minister at the time had to make sure he did this public library, because Foster said it publicly. Secondly, I did not, maybe every monthly Cabinet meeting, bring up the library. So Foster fostered a desire, and here we are today,” Robinson Regis said.

When asked to comment on DeNobriga’s assessment of his political chances, Cummings said, “As far as you’ve asked in terms of the marginality of this constituency,  we have done the work.  And I have no doubt that La Horquetta/ Talparo will do the sensible thing  and retain the PNM as the government of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The praise comes at a time when Cummings isn’t just facing a general election but eventually, an internal PNM election as well, which could see him vying for the post of political leader. But when faced with those questions, Cummings wasn’t as confident or assertive.

“Internal elections at the PNM are due in 2026,” he replied with a nervous chuckle. 

Cummings and Energy Minister Stuart Young are said to be the frontrunners for leadership of the PNM. 

The UNC hasn’t announced a candidate yet for the seat for the general election. 

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