Opposition "sets Fyzabad on fire"

The united opposition gathered at the historic Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad Wednesday to sign a declaration that would commit the leaders of five political groups to unite and to launch its joint platform for the general election on May 24.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, leader of the United National Congress, will be the leader of the group and will become Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago if the opposition wins the election.

The opposition chose Charlie King Junction because of its signficance as the birthplace of organized labour in Trinidad and Tobago.

The junction is named after the policeman, Charlie King, who was burned alive in 1937 when he attempted to arrest trade unionist Tubal Uriah “Buzz” Butler.

Read about the June 19, 1937 incident

Thousands converged on the junction Wednesday for another historic event bearing flags and symbols of the two main parties in the coalition - the UNC and the Congress of the People (COP).

Chairman of the event, UNC Deputy Leader Dr Suruj Rambachan declared the meeting the "largest political gathering" in the history of Trinidad and Tobago politics.

Roodal Moonilal recalled the struggles of the 1930's and said, "today we reclaim our land...in the symbolic shadow of Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler".

He promised that a UNC/COP government will reform labour laws and introduce new legislation to protect workers across the board. He also said the "slavery conditions" of CEPEP workers will disappear under the new regime and never again will women have to "sell their bodies" in order to get work.

Moonilal was also highly critical of the Manning regime's reliance on foreign labour to do work that nationals are qualified to perform.

And he sent a message to workers at the Board of Inland Revenue and Customs and excise that their jobs will be secure, noting that "it is Manning who will lose his job".

Moonilal declared, "Your job will be secure under the leadership of the Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar."

The former labour minister also pledged that the new government will end discrimination and the politicization of training, noting that under the PNM administration Manning himself approves applications for training.

He appealed to the nation to tell Manning, "You Must Go!"