Manning campaigns with "state of the nation" message

Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Monday took over the broadcast space in Trinidad and Tobago for a second consecutive night to present a strong case for re-election.

It is an unusual for such a development in the middle of a general election campaign and the opposition - which has not been afforded similar air time - has called Manning's broadcasts an abuse of office.

That did not deter the prime minister from painting a picture of his administration as one that has been on focus for development of the country.

In a prepared text presented before a live audience at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Port-of-Spain, Manning talked for an hour about accomplishment accomplishments every sector of activity.

Manning's communications specialist refused to allow reporters into the hotel. the audience comprised members of his Cabinet, People’s National Movement (PNM) top brass and selected members of the business community were stayed after the speech for a cocktail reception.

Manning said his government brought down inflation and the country's unemployment rate and improved the country everywhere.

“Look at Trinidad and Tobago now,” Manning boasted, noting that people are returning to the country for “a far better quality of life than many countries in the world.”

Manning said there are few countries in the world that offer as many benefits as those that he has introduced. He defended his focus on buildings as an attempt to to create a “developed city centre...resembling several metropolis around the world.”

The Prime Minister told his audience, "The time is now for you and your family to live in your own home. The time is now for your children to aspire to higher education without worrying how mommy and daddy would pay for it.”

He assured the audience that the economy is strong with US$3.1 billion in the Heritage and Stablisation Fund with an excellent international credit rating.

He also had a message for Tobago. “What Tobago wants, Tobago gets,” he stated.

The speech, which attracted a standing ovation from the hand-picked audience, was advertised as a state of the nation address. But it was clearly a controlled political in which he avoided the contentious national issues like crime and corruption.