PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC)— Trinidad’s small opposition party, Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) said on Tuesday it will not be contesting the general election to be held later this year.

MSJ leader, David Abdulah, told a news conference that the party, which has been unsuccessful in past local and general elections, will instead focus on building its capacity to govern effectively in the future.

“We do not believe we are in a position to do so in 2025 and therefore we would focus on our own building,” he said.

Abdulah said the MSJ, which is closely aligned to the powerful Oilfield Workers Union (OWTU), had decided on Monday night that it is not ready for the electoral challenge, but would continue advocating for citizens by engaging with the public and raising awareness about their rights.

He said the party will also keep issuing statements on national issues.

The MSJ party participated on a limited scale in the 2013 and 2016 local government elections and Abdullah said that while the party expanded its presence in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered its progress, resulting in the party not having had enough time to develop to the desired level.

Abdulah said he will no longer serve as the sole voice for the party, emphasising a shift toward delegation and specialised communication.

He said the entrance of the Gary Griffith-led National Transformation Alliance (NTA) and the Mickela Panday-led Patriotic Front (PF) into this year’s election race did not factor into the party’s decision to sit out the election.

The country’s main opposition party United National Congress (UNC) has said that it is prepared to enter into a coalition with some of the minor opposition parties in a bid to unseat the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) which has been in office since 2015.