General election coming for sure: Manning

Prime Minister Patrick Manning was on full campaign mode on Monday, walking about in Valencia in northeast Trinidad, meeting people and talking about an imminent election.

And at a political meeting in the community, he told supporters of his People's national Movement a general election is coming "as sure as night follows day".

The PNM leader said, "I know some of you don’t believe election coming. Let me repeat here tonight, it is coming...I talking about general elections."

He told the crowd now is not the time for squabbling and urged them to get ready to do the people's business.

Earlier in the day Manning Manning held a special Cabinet meeting. The Trinidad Express cited sources as saying that Manning told cabinet members to prepare for an election and urged them the need to intensify their presence in their constituencies.

Manning also made an unexpected appearance in the Senate to announce several inititaives, including a decision not pursue the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) bill until it completes "full consultations" with the Public Services Association (PSA).

And the Trinidad Express reported Tuesday that Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira has confirmed that the government is also reviewing the controversial property tax. That's a complete about turn from government policy.

Nunez-Tesheira explained that Government agreed that "it was in everybody’s interest to have an amicable resolution, rather than an adversarial environment."