NATIONAL Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader Gary Griffith is asking UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her permission to publish documents which would show who crafted policies she claims to be hers while she was prime minister from May 2010- September 2015.
In a statement on April 5, Griffith said Persad-Bissessar has been claiming she is responsible for policies which were created by him when he was national security minister in the former UNC-led People's Partnership coalition government.
"This is very unfortunate because while opinions may vary because of memory loss and other issues of mental fitness, the truth exists because, records exist, documents exist, e-mails exist and cabinet notes exist."
Griffith said if Persad-Bissessar was so confident in her claims, she should grant him "formal permission to release these materials into the public domain."
He identified the $1 million compensation for families of fallen officers and the proposal to create a Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs were his ideas and not Persad-Bissessar's.
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Griffith said there was a cabinet note to confirm the two portfolios were "drafted and structured by me, not her."
The creation of the Justice Ministry, he continued, was his idea also.
"I again drafted and which, even though you implemented it, failed miserably because those in charge were a combination of incompetence and a lack of knowledge and expertise."
Griffith said those were just some examples of policies which were handed to Persad-Bissessar on a platter to be implemented while she was prime minister.
He questioned whether any of those initiatives could be implemented under UNC if it won the April 28 general election "because the party lacks the wherewithal to get the job done properly."
Griffith said that was all the public wanted.
"The people deserve the facts – not accusations, not amnesia, not revisionist history."
He repeated he was prepared to present the information he had to the public.
"All I need is her permission."
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In what appeared to be reference to claims and counter claims between Prime Minister Stuart Young and Persad-Bissessar about the use of artificial intelligence to influence voters, Griffith said if Persad-Bissessar was really in charge of the UNC, she must publicly condemn members of the UNC's coalition of interests who have described her, UNC and PNM members in vulgar and derogatory terms.
"Mrs Persad-Bissessar and the UNC social media trolls cannot have it both ways."
"And if she or others believe or argue that anything done when she ‘was in charge’ is hers, then, as the leader of the ‘Coalition of Interests’ which we saw come to full light yesterday as Phillip Alexander and others all filed their nominations as candidates under the UNC banner, then she must also take ownership of the filth and vulgarity spewed by him..."
