"A monumental waste of public funds". That's how Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar described the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) on Monday night at a meeting of her party.
The leader of the United National Congress (UNC) called the centre “one of the most costly white elephants ever constructed in the country, even by PNM standards.
She spoke about claims by the Artists’ Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) that the NAPA needs about $80 million to fix the structural flaws.
“I see NAPA as an epic tragedy because it was designed to boost the artists of this country, the wonderful abundance of talent in this land. And yet none of them could perform in NAPA. Why?
"The Artists’ Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago has put out its reports and those reports show very clearly whatever design or format they used — it was $480 million spent — but it is not fit for the purpose that it was built for,” she said.
And she expressed disappointment that instead of calling for an investigation into UDeCOTT and the builders, the Shanghai Construction Group, "Mr Manning is defending and praising Calder Hart and is still defending Calder Hart.
“We note with great interest that following the biting criticism by the artistic community...they now have an ad campaign selling a flawed NAPA.”
She also spoke about government's decision to prevent musicologist Pat Bishop from speaking at a National Museum event last Tuesday.
“I want to say it is totally unacceptable, totally offensive when they take a cultural icon like Pat Bishop, when she raised her voice against what is happening, what do they do? They gag her. They shut her up and cancel her speaking engagement,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also took issue with the Manning administration for its handling on several matter including UDeCOTT, the Guanapo church affair, law and order and his plan to host a one-day CARICOM summit on crime.
She declared that Manning is not fit to govern. "The people have lost faith in him and in any other part of the world he would have been forced to do the honourable thing and resign. How much more can this nation take under Patrick Manning?" she asked.
The opposition leader said it is against this background that she has called for a vote of no confidence in Manning to be debated in the Parliament.
She also urged the nation to unit on Saturday for a rally in Chaguanas. She stressede that the joint platform will include labour, business, citizen activist groups, non-governmental organizations and political parties "in defence of and promotion of citizens’ rights and good governance" in the country.
The Voice of the People rally will be held on Saturday at Saith Park from two in the afternoon.
"Come out in your numbers for this historic day. Let us signal to Patrick Manning that his days in power are numbered. This will be the largest gathering outside of an election period, a showcase of People Power," she said.
She also responded to a letter from Trinidad Express columnist Michael Harris.
Read the story: Kamla responds to Harris, calls for all to unite in common cause
1 comment:
This statement is coming out too late...Too late on the draw.
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