T&T: Phillip Watts joins UNC as candidate for La Horquetta/Talparo in 2025 elections

Trinidad and Tobago: The Opposition United National Congress (UNC) has named Phillip Watts as the preferred candidate for La Hoequetta/Talparo constituency for the upcoming 2025 General Elections.  

According to the information, Watts is a businessman and holds an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. The UNC have expressed their confidence in Watts saying that it is confident that he will finally provide constituents with real representation as well as progress.  

Notably, Watts is the 11th candidate unveiled so far by the Opposition Party out of the 39 candidates for the upcoming general elections and they will soon be revealing others.  

Reportedly, Watts is a former People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman for the La Horquetta/ Talparo constituency executive and UNC Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar during the announcement said that Watts has been working with the UNC for the last few years after leaving the PNM. 

She said that Phillip Watts was the strong recommendation of LHT (La Horquetta/ Talparo) constituency Ryan Rampersad as well as the majority of the LHT executive. She added that he also polled very well in the independently run polling which is why the screening committee went with their recommendation.  

According to Persad Bissessar she has high hopes this time that her party will come to power again as the incumbent Prime Minister and political leader of PNM Dr Keith Rowley is set to resign from his position on March 16 and hand over the power to Stuart Young.  

The candidates announced by the UNC so far for the 2025 General Elections are as follows: 

1. Chaguanas East – Vandana Mohit (incumbent) 
2. Barataria/San Juan – Saddam Hosein (incumbent) 
3. San Fernando West – Dr Michael Dowlath 
4. San Fernando East – John Michael Alibocas 
5. Arouca/Lopinot - Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj 
6. Trincity/Maloney - Richard Smith 
7. Aranjuez/St Joseph – Devesh Maharaj 
8. La Brea – Clyde Elder (OWTU choice) 
9. Toco/Sangre Grande – Wayne Sturge 
10. La Horquetta/Talparo - Phillip Watts 
11. Point Fortin – Ernesto Kesar (OWTO choice)