Prime Minister Patrick Manning began his own election campaign Monday, a day after the opposition United National Congress (UNC) changed its leader, tossing out Basdeo Panday in favour of Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Manning began with a walkabout in Arima in preparation for the Local Government Elections due this year. The vote has been postponed four times and Manning has insisted it will take place this year.
Commenting on the change in the UNC the PNM leader said he will fight the Persad-Bissessar UNC "very seriously" in any future election.
"It matters not, A, B, C or D. It does not matter really. The PNM fights everybody seriously. It matters not who they put up. The PNM is going to fight seriously whenever the time comes," Manning told the Trinidad Express.
He congratulated the Persad Bissessar and all the winners. "As a politician myself I wish them all well and I hope, of course, that they are not more successful than we are," he said.
He added that he would be happy to meet with Persad-Bissessar if she becomes opposition Leader on any matters of national concern, such as crime.
He also commented on his feelings about Panday's defeat. "Mr Panday has been around for a long time. He came into politics five years after I came into Parliament and I have known him for a long time and, of course I hate to see him go.
"You see its just like that. I’ve known him for a long time but there you go the vicissitudes of political life, that’s how it is," Manning said He added that the PNM will continue to watch with "great interest" the developments in the UNC and any other political party.
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