Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced on Wednesday that when she takes office at the head of a People's Partnership government she will legislate fixed dates for election - both local and general. Speaking at a political meeting at Harris Promenade, San Fernando the leader of the United National Congress (UNC) also said the long overdue local government election will be held when it is due by October 2010.
She also announced that she would order a forensic audit into the operations of the state energy company PETROTRIN within 120 days of taking office to determine if there has been abuse of finances there.
Earlier, opposition candidate Errol McLeod charged that PETROTRIN was paying $40,000 a month to rent space for a PNM election campaign office. Mc Leod also spoke about a racist slur that PNM Leader Patrick Manning made on Tuesday.
Persad-Bissessar took direct aim at Manning, condemning him for his remark made the night before at the same venue.
The leader of the People's National Movement (PNM) told supporters Tuesday night Persad-Bissessar lacked political acumen and called her "vindictive" for not offering a seat to Mickela Panday.
He told his audience, "if she is vindictive with her own kind what about you!"
Persad-Bissessar took Manning to task for the racist remark saying everybody is her "kind" because the only kind that she knows is "humankind".
She said the country must reject Manning and his divisiveness, noting that everybody in the country is equal regardless of race, religion or class and said that is how it will be in a People's Partnership government that will take office on May 25.
Persad-Bissessar suggested that Manning should mind his own business and tell people why he rejected Penny Beckles. "You throw your Penny out and now you bankrupt," she said.
She also dared Keith Rowley to endorse his leader on a political platform and asked Manning to do the same for Rowley.
"Manning has spent eight and half years pounding faith, pounding hope out of families, out of our children. His regime has ruled by fear and threat. He has willingly sacrificed our future for his own personal gain.
"What’s been in the best interest of the nation has never been one of Patrick’s concerns. He has never prioritized what the people needed only what he’s wanted," she said.
The UNC leader also responded to Manning's comments Tuesday about how he lost the 1995 general election to the UNC. Manning told his audience that he had planned a surprise election but one of his PNM insiders leaked the information to UNC leader Basdeo Panday.
He said he made a mistake then and won't repeat it. But Persad-Bissessar scoffed at Manning's suggestion that a leaked election date caused him to lose the election and noted that it was Manning's incompetence that caused his fall then and will cause it again in 2010.
On the element of surprise in election she such "political games" will end when she takes over the government because she will be legislating fixed dates for elections. And she pledged that there will be a two-term limit for prime ministers.
Persad-Bissessar also found it amusing that Manning suggested that she made a mistake in choosing ex judge Herbert Volney, NJAC leader Makandal Daaga and Mc Leod as partners in her coalition.
Persad Bissessar expressed great pride in the leaders, saying they are some of the most talented and capable in the country- people like Winston Dookeran, leader of the Congress of the People (COP), Daaga, Mc Leod, TOP leader Ashworth Jack and her party's Chairman, Jack Warner.
She said they and the entire team of 41 candidates would rise on May 24 to form a responsive and responsible government of Trinidad and Tobago.
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