20,000 demand political change at VOP rally

The Voice of the People rally held in Chaguanas on Saturday attracted a crowd estimated at 20,000, comprising a cross section of citizens, labour unions, other interest groups and politicians.

Although it was billed as a non-political event it was a clear battle cry to remove the Manning administration as speaker after speaker addressed the failure of the current government.

David Abdullah, head of The Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (FITUN) accused the prime minister of ignoring and attacking the labour movement.

"They must pay the ultimate political price when they are removed from Government. We must build a movement to emancipate Trinidad and Tobago," he said.

"Our first objective is to see the end of Patrick Manning and the PNM because, indeed, they are thiefing the soul of the nation."

Christopher Joefield, Vice-president of the Public Services Association (PSA) denounced the government for establishing the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA).

He will take part in the Senate debate on the bill to set up the TTRA in his role as a temporary opposition Senator. Joefield invited citizens to show up in Port of Spain Monday to support the PSA in its fight against the TTRA.

Congress of the People (COP) Deputy leader Wendy Lee Yuen, speaking on behalf of her leader who is out of the country, said the Manning government has failed the test of good governance and has contributed to the social and political ills in the country.

And she said her party is committed to unity and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Ashford Jack, political leader of the Tobago Organisation of the People, (TOP) supported a united movement for change to hold the current leaders accountable.

"Be careful," he warned, "they learn every dirty trick in the book, and they will try to divide you. Take a vow that anyone who destroys the public purse must be jailed, regardless of political affiliation."

And he urged the thousands to make a pledge to remove "boundaries of race and anything that divides us."

Also present was Makandal Daaga, head of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC). Daaga was one of the country's most prominent voices in the 1970s, clamouring for social change.

He said now is the time to restore order and build a new society. Like all the others who spoke, he too pleaded to citizens to abandon race and class that have always divided bthe country.

Stephen Cadiz, chairman of Yestt, said it was time to realise the dream of unity and put aside all differences.

Hazel Brown spoke on behalf of the country's NGOs and pledged to stand with the new political leader of the United National Congress (UNC), Kamla persad-Bissessar. She said the new leader is committed to transformation of the society.

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