Faber and Daly Will Square off In Collet on March 12

This week, the two main political parties revealed their teams for the upcoming general election on March twelfth. On Sunday, the P.U.P. proudly introduced their full slate of thirty-one candidates. Then, on Thursday, U.D.P. leader Tracy Panton showcased fifteen of their hopefuls. The U.D.P. also has other candidates running under the leadership of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, and there’s Anthony “Boots” Martinez, a veteran U.D.P. and former minister, who is running independently of the two main leaders. In the Collet division, the race has been heating up for months. Patrick Faber, a five-term incumbent, is being challenged by basketball star Devin Daly, who is determined to take his seat. News Five’s Marion Ali caught up with both candidates and brings us this report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

According to the candidates in Collet, the election there is anyone’s game. Both contenders report receiving warm and enthusiastic support from the community. For the current representative, Patrick Faber, the main concerns are infrastructure and housing.

 

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet

“ I’d say, the streets and drains, that is the number one concern. Of course, there is the situation of Krooman Lagoon, where we have quite a number of people living in that situation. Apart from that, I’d say just the streets and the drains are the main things. Infrastructure and then housing as well. They have serious problems with housing. Our constituency have not gotten any of the houses that the PUPs promised.”

 

For Daly, improving the quality of life for the elderly and the youths is key.

 

Devin Daly, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Collet

“We receive life from our elders, so we always have to show our respect to our elders. And they vote for us just like the other population, you know, and in the three and a half months that I’ve been campaigning on the ground, this is exactly what the people want, people have been telling me. The young people, they want safe spaces. Even if the jobs aren’t there, they want safe spaces. We want to have a community weh da fi everybody, youth thriving, and also the adults, the middle class, everybody. Outside the overall quality of life, the current infrastructure needs immediate and urgent assistance. We have people when we’re campaigning said, their housing situation and also their streets haven’t been addressed.”

 

Faber firmly believes that his five-term track record in the area is his biggest advantage.

 

Patrick Faber

“People are telling me that I have no worry, that they know the relationship that we’ve shared for the many, many years and they have no intention of changing course, that on election day they will show up as per normal, as for the last elections. In fact, they’ve told me, Faber, you are the one we vote for every time. We have no intention of changing that.”

 

But Daly believes his youth and personal connections to Collet give him the upper hand.

 

Devin Daly

“I am from Collet, born in Collet and raised in Collet, right da the back fence from your same house, so you know it because you deh eena Collet to – Antelope Street, I deh pahn Iguana. And right now the people ready for somebody come and represent dehn weh have fi dehn best interest at heart, nuh only when da time fi election. Da time fi mek wi find solutions and da time fi mek Collet get new leadership. I’m young, fresh, energetic. I have a lot to bring to the table.”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.