Manning admits mistakes, won't tolerate breach of integrity

Patrick Manning admitted Wednesday night that he made mistakes and might continue to do so because he is human. And he took opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to task for tearing up the PNM manifesto.

Speaking at a political meeting in Fyzabad, the PNM leader said while he may continue to make errors, he would be cautious about "punching" on his for making errors.

"I may not like it. I will chastise them in private, but I will support them publicly," he said. Manning added, "I have told members of my Cabinet that if the error is in performance in your ministry I will understand that. If, however, the issue is integrity, then you are on your own."

The comment might have been intended with a dual purpose - the put some distance between himself and Calder Hart and to explain why he felt compelled to fire Keith rowley from cabinet.

"I cannot support breaches of integrity in the Government or anywhere else and I don’t, my dear friends. The one thing people know about me is that I stand for integrity and I have always stood for integrity in the conduct of public affairs," he declared.

"Nothing has changed, my dear friends. And the minute anybody breaches the codes of conduct and standards of integrity that are expected of persons in public office, they stand on their own.

"And if they have a case to answer, we will ensure that they have a fair trial and they will answer before the courts," he said.

manning said that hiow it has always been with the PNM and pledged that the party would continue to subscribe to the highest standards of integrity.

"Nobody, high or low, is above the law. All citizens who transgress must face the full brunt of the legal system," he said.

Commenting on Persad-Bissessar's act of tearing up his manifesto at a meeting Tuesday night in Gasparillo Manning suggested that something was wrong with the UNC leader.

"I am not convinced that she was in full control of all her faculties," he said.

He also slammed the UNC for not presenting its own manifesto, suggesting that the party might be looking through the PNM's to get some ideas.

"Two weeks before an election and not one word...All you getting is a snippet here and a snippet there," he stated.

Persad-Bissessar said on Tuesday the PNM manifesto is useless and contained broken and unachievable promises. The party will present its own manifesto on Friday morning.

He also defended his refusal to debate the opposition leader, suggesting that to do so is below his status.

"Once a Prime Minister decides to debate with someone who is not a prime minister, what that prime minister does is raise the status of that individual. It gives the individual a new stature that is of political significance," he explained.

Manning said a debate offers a "very valuable" concession" to someone seeking office. He had earlier stated that he would not debate Persad-Bisssessar because he had nothing to gain from such an encounter.

On Wednesday, the UNC leader wrote to the organisers of the debate advising that unless there is a firm agreement for the debate by May 14 the People's Partnership would not be able to participate.

"The PNM’s claim that the debate arrangements are too rushed and gives the People’s Partnership an unfair advantage is ludicrous given the fact that we are both subjected to the very same timeline, arrangements and format.

"In light of the the PNM’s stated reluctance and its own leader’s decline, the People’s Partnership will not be taking any further part in the process of the two leaders debating unless a formal acceptance is received by May 14th 2010," Persad Bissessar said.