She said she understands that Trinidad and Tobago will fund the entire event, including airfares and accommodation for the CARICOM leaders.
"The absurdity and senselessness of hosting this costly summit is reinforced by the fact that the Caricom leaders have just concluded a summit in Dominica only last week!" she stated.
"It is highly unusual for the Heads to meet more than twice a year and its next regular meeting is already scheduled for July in Jamaica," she stated.
Calling it "Manning’s Summit of Distraction" the UNC leader said the aim of the gathering is to create a distraction from "the corruption issues of Calder Hart, UDeCOTT, WASA, and HDC, the controversy of the Guanapo Church, crime, water shortage and a host of other pressing matters dogging his administration."
She called on Manning to tell the country what the summit would cost Trinidad and Tobago taxpayers.
And she urged Caricom Heads to refuse participation "in this sham and what is a feeble attempt by Mr. Manning to move the national conversation away from the corruption allegations and ineptitude of his administration."
Persad-Bissessar said, "We wish to advise the Honourable Heads of the Caricom States that the people of Trinidad and Tobago will view their participation in this shameful, wasteful exercise at the expense of tax payers’ dollars here as a contribution to Manning’s squandering of our precious resources especially at a time when our nation is reeling under the pressure of so many urgent social needs."
She added, "should the Manning administration proceed with this circus of extravagance at the people’s expense, we propose to alert all political groups, civic organizations and special interest groups to join in protest against the hosting of this wasteful expression of arrogance and contempt for the people."
3 comments:
You're DAMNED RIGHT Kamla. Absolute absurdity of the highest degree. THEY MET LAST WEEK AND ARE MEETING AGAIN IN JULY!?!?! Who is advising this man? I hope the Caricom leaders are wise enough to decline this wasteful offer that TT cannot afford.
A SUMMIT must be held between The Political Leaders of the UNC and COP. This will give identity to the unity drive. We have seen in the public domain the COP's Unification plan. Where is the UNC's ?
if Kamla is saying that this summit is a distraction, then why is she questioining it, just let it be and move on to the WASA, Udecott etc, but its not a distraction, its just another of this govnt sqandering of our resources
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