Kamla announces unity deal with COP, promises ministry of the people

Kamla Persad-Bissessar launched the 2010 general election campaign of her United National Congress (UNC) Monday night with an announcement that she has a deal with the Congress of the People (COP) for a united front in the election.

Describing her agreement as "sustainable and unbreakable" she told thousands of supporters in Marabella of her meeting with COP Leader Winston Dookeran during which they agreed on a policy document for unification that would see one national platform that would bring back responsible government to Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking about the dissolution of Parliament, the UNC leader once again said Prime Minister Patrick Manning displayed cowardice and in the face of an impending defeat on a vote of no confidence he moved to silence the legislature. He could not take the chance of a palace coup, she said.

Persad-Bissessar said Manning was terrified about what the opposition would have revealed in the debate, including facts about corruption, UDeCOTT, the church in Guanapo, the TTRA, the property tax, the Abu Bakr land deal and the squandermania.

Persad-Bissessar said it was the power of the people that caused Manning to surrender.

"It is the first time in our history that a prime minister has dissolved Parliament two and a half years early," she stated, adding that "everyone across the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago is happy. Thank you, Mr Manning!"

She also pledged to maintain social programs that benefit the people, funding them with the money to be saved from cancelling many of the Manning regime's ill conceived programs.

"Let me make it abundantly clear tonight that under my leadership of a UNC government, CEPEP will remain in place. GATE will remain in place. In fact, we will improve upon it.

"I think it is a crying shame that Manning should have CEPEP employees slaving under the conditions in which they do. Our philosophy is that workers will get a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work," she said.

"Read my lips. There will be no removal of CEPEP, GATE or other social programs that help people out," she promised.

And she made a pledge to the people, asking them to hold her accountable for it. She said she will establish within the cabinet a Ministry of the People where people who feel that their concerns are not being addressed by the people could take the relevant issues knowing that they will be heard at the cabinet level.

She promised a responsible, accountable government. "No private jets, no Calder Harts," she said. The UNC leader also took a swipe at Manning's spiritual adviser saying she does not need a "seer woman or seer man (because) I can see for myself what is wrong with our country." She added, "You can see it too!"

Persad-Bissessar also spoke of her respect for and reliance on God. "We will put God in front and we will walk behind," she said.

She urged citizens everywhere to enlist in "this revolution of change", imploring everyone to "rescue our nation from this madness!"

While Persad-Bissessar spoke a national security helicopter hovered above, its lights flashing down. She waved to the aircraft saying, "bye bye Manning."

Earlier, UNC chairman Jack Warner introduced a "crazy" element to the campaign. In a brief address he challenged Manning to debate Persad-Bissessar on the national issues facing Trinidad and Tobago today and to tell the nation why he abandoned the government.

He paused to introduced Calypsonian CRAZY who presented a special campaign song which Warner said would included all the things he wanted to say. Crazy thrilled the audience with the song: "Manning have to go!"

Warner said he would produce 100,000 copies of the calypso and urged everyone to get a copy. "Play in your house, play it in your car, play it everywhere" he said because the message that must resound across the land must be "Patrick have to go!"