Manning faces anti-PNM protests as he slams UNC for "lack of vision"

Patrick Manning is moving into a full campaign mode with focused attacks on the opposition United National Congress, which he sees as his greatest threat.

Speaking at a political meeting in Valencia on Monday Manning told his supporters the opposition party has no vision, calling the UNC "a group of political rejects."

The meeting attracted a strong anti-PNM protest, with former loyal supporters coming out in an attempt to send Manning a message that they are no longer supporting him and the PNM candidate for the area.

They carried placards that said, among other things, "THE PNM DEAD" and some of them shouted at the meeting that the have had no representation from the MP for then area.

Another smaller group shouted KAMLA while Manning spoke.

Manning ignored the message from the protesters, focusing instead on attacks on the UNC leadership.

He said Kamla Persad-Bissessar's team comprises "has-been politicians, political rejects, people who have been resurrected from the dust in political history."

He asked his audience, "What is inspiring about the group? Who are the young, fresh minds with young, fresh ideas?’"

He added, "I am 64 years old. I don’t think there’s one of them younger than me. The most common characteristic of all of them is arthritis."

Manning also attacked UNC Chairman Jack Warner and suggested that there is an internal fight in the party between Warner and Suruj Rambachan, one of the party's three deputy leaders.