One of Trinidad & Tobago’s newest political parties has a well know new member. Former PNM minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira who served as Minister of Finance in Patrick Mannning’s administration has joined the HOPE. The party’s political leader is former Senate President by Timothy Hamel-Smith. Nunez-Tesheira been made a deputy political leader (Economy) of her new party.
Nunez-Tesheira, who had been in the Manning led PNM since the 1990s, resigned from PNM just party last week. Nunez-Tesheira unsuccessfully contested the PNM leadership against Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley last November and had been a low-profile member since the PNM lost the general election in 2010. She has been highly critical of the Rowley led government’s management of the T&T economy.
The HOPE party’s members includes former Port of Spain mayor louis Lee Sing, former PNM member Denise Demming, former Democratic Party of T&T leader Steve Alvarez (chairman), former UNC Minister Fazal Karim. HOPE did not contest the recent Local Government Elections, it conducted small meetings in recent months in various areas and had stated it would educate people on voting for the best candidates. HOPE officials have said the party is focused on the 2025 General Election.
Nunez-Tesheira recently commented on statements from NTA Political leader Gary Griffith, that the 2020 crime rate drop didn’t have anything to do with 2020 state of emergency restrictions. She said that she felt Griffith uses statistics in a questionable way, such as regarding the 2019 crime situation. Nunez-Tesheira also cited US concerns on extra judicial killings by police.