Partnership aiming for big victory Monday

Kamla Persad-Bissessar closed off the People's Partnership Local Government Election (LGE) campaign at Skinner Park, San Fernando, Saturday with a call for everyone to work together to consolidate the coalition's victory and win all the regions in Monday's election.

Tens of thousands converged on the venue in a show of support that looked more like a general election rally than one for a local election. And the supporters at the rally comprised the diversity of the Trinidad and Tobago population.

Persad-Bissessar heralded that as a demonstration of the People's Partnership's commitment to embrace everyone in the process of nation building. She has repeatedly said that her government will treat everyone fairly while fighting crime and corruption.

And she has pledged that under her leadership there will be no 'reverse discrimination' and everyone would be welcome.

However, the Partnership has not taken anything for granted in this campaign, holding mass meetings, motorcades and rallies across the country, challenging the weakened People's National Movement (PNM) and its new leader Keith Rowley to present a plan for which the people could vote.

The message from the governing coalition throughout the campaign has been that the PNM failed in government so it cannot do anything for the people in Local Government, especially since it is in opposition.

The People's partnership has also reminded citizens at every turn that Rowley was a part of the PNM team that denied them the opportunity to vote in a local election, having supported the Manning government to postpone the election four times.

It argued that it is hypocritical for Rowley to deny citizens the right to vote and then ask the electorate to give the PNM another chance and votes for its candidates. The party has also demanded a manifesto from Rowley, saying the PNM has nothing to offer.

It has also suggested that the PNM remains divided and has not embraced Rowley as its leader. Persad-Bissessar has pointed to the absence of two elected MPs - Colin Imbert and Amery Browne - from the campaign.

Both of them were staunch Manning supporters and were absent from the campaign.

Today - Sunday - the People's Partnership is making one final appeal for support from the electorate with motorcades and rallies across Trinidad.

There are 134 seats in Monday's election in 14 local jurisdicttions, which include the cities of Port of Spain, San Fernando and Point Fortin and the boroughs of Arima and Chaguanas.

In the 2003 election there 126 seats of which the PNM won 83, taking control of all the cities and the majority of the other regional bodies.