United National Congress (UNC) leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar put her party on election alert Saturday, instructing UNC General Secretary, Dr Glen Ramadharsingh, to get all constituency executives to nominate candidates for the expected General Elections by April 12.Screening of candidates will begin the next day.
The opposition leader also asked party Chairman Jack Warner to immediately activate the UNC National Campaign Team and present a report within 72 hours for the consideration of the National Executive.
In a media release Persad-Bissessar stated that the screening of candidates will not compromise unity talks with the Congress of the People (COP) and other political parties.
Persad-Bissessar, who returns home Monday from a Florida fund raising event, stated that she will accelerate efforts for a united front to ensure that there are no three way fights against the PNM.
She and COP leader Winston Dookeran have already agreed in principle on coopertaing to ensure that there are one-on-one races.
She said she is confident that she will be able to find "a lasting formula for unity will be achieved. It will meet the expectations of the people."
"I intend to give to this country a slate of candidates which will be a judicious blend of experience, youth, professionalism and functional talent to rescue this country from the precipice it has now fallen into as a result of the mismanagement and corruption of the PNM," the Opposition Leader stated.
Commenting on the state of national politics, the opposition leader said Prime Minister Patrick Manning has "the albatross of the UFF Commission around his neck."
She added, "He faces an unparalleled revolt from the party faithful across the country, as well as from some members of his cabinet. It is the first time that a sitting Prime Minister has been booed and jeered on walkabouts even in traditional hardcore PNM areas.
"Mr Manning cannot fulfil his promises because after a period of wastage the money is finished. He is therefore trying to hold an election before the financial collapse is made public.
"That is the reason for promising Laventille $300 million when they abandoned this area for the past eight years. That is the reason for the renewed promises of health facilities. These are promises made several years ago by this same government BUT which they failed to keep when the Government was benefiting from high revenues from international energy prices," said Persad-Bissessar.
She said Manning wants a snap election to avoid facing a no confidence vote in Parliament on April 9. She said that is an admission by the Prime Minister that his Government has failed.
"He has had to back off on the property taxes as well as the TTRA, at a time when 70 per cent of the people have said in the March 2010 MORI poll commissioned by the Government that they do not like how the country is being governed...Manning is seeing the people as enemies and is treating them as such," she said.
"The people of this country are demonstrating political maturity and are not allowing the traditional divides of race, religion, class and status to keep the PNM in power," she stated.
1 comment:
ELECTIONS NOT GOOD FOR COUNTRY
What comes first, the state or the society ? This is the question that we all should be asking. Not: which party will win? That is secondary. If we are satisfied that the society comes first then we will ensure that no election is held.
The country and in particular Opposing parties are not ready for an elections. The UNC has just come out of a bruising and traumatic experience, that has left deep wounds. It is the first time in three and a half decades and that is why people will be confused. People are not yet adjusted. This is the first requirement that has to be satisfied before people can accept the new gods. It is only then that they can exhibit their right to choose. This is a slow process and the problems of the party are so visible that it is obvious a general elections will cause massive disruption to people's lives. The Prime Minister though most unpopular nationally,is making a gamble big time because he knows the state of things in the Opposition UNC.
The creation of a Party State requires the control of the military, political police, prisons, judiciary, tax collection [BIR] and the bureaucracy of the Public Service. How much of these does the Prime Minister control right now ?
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