NEWSDAY REPORTERS
SLAMMING the almost ten-year-old PNM government as being one only for the elites, which is controlled by the elites, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said only a leader who as a teenager walked the streets with her mother, selling door to door, could know the pain of the common man.
Speaking at the launch of the UNC's general election campaign on the evening of March 24 at Naparima College in San Fernando, Persad-Bissessar said, "You can’t fake real, and you can’t fake love!"
She sought to paint a picture, on the one hand, of a man who was selected – not elected – and handed the office of Prime Minister without earning it.
While on the other hand, there is a woman who earned the right to be prime minister by first being elected political leader of a party and then by winning a general election.
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"Only a leader who has walked the same roads as you, can truly understand your feelings, pains and ambitions and make decisions in your best interest," she said.
"So when political leaders come to you asking for your vote, ask them, where is your track record? What is your track record?"
She revealed that her mother Rita Persad was a socially ostracised garden worker, housemaid, shop-cleaner, roti seller, roadside pholourie vendor, jewellery street seller and part-time seamstress, "who created and moulded the first female Attorney General, the first female Leader of the Opposition and the first female prime minister."
Slamming the government as one that did not care for the common man, Persad-Bissessar claimed government showed no remorse in paying almost $50 million to their "eat-ah-food" lawyers in a commission of inquiry, yet not giving one cent to the families of the divers who died in the Paria diving tragedy.
"Tonight, I demand that the government pay the families of the dead divers the compensation they are asking for before the elections. If they don’t, I will pay it when we return to the government!"
Four divers – Kazim Ali Jr, Yusuf Henry, Fyzal Kurban and Rishi Nagassar – were killed on February 25, 2022, when they were sucked into the pipeline in Pointe-a-Pierre harbour while carrying out maintenance work. A fifth diver, Christopher Boodram, survived the ordeal.
Persad-Bissessar delivered the feature address after speeches by UNC deputy political leaders Dr Roodal Moonilal and Jearlean John, PEP leader and UNC/Coalition of Interests candidate for Port of Spain North/St Ann's West Phillip Edward Alexander, and OWTU president general Ancel Roget.
Several of the party's candidates were announced during the meeting on Monday including Devesh Maharaj (Aranjuez/St Joseph), Wayne Sturge (Toco/Sangre Grande), Saddam Hosein (Barataria/San Juan), Ernesto Kesar (Pt Fortin), former CWU head Clyde Elder (La Brea) and others.
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Persad-Bissessar said Prime Minister Stuart Young had no shared experiences with the rank-and-file PNM members so then how could he hope to have that with the people?
She said having no shared experience with the common man, the prime minister and the PNM has resorted to fabrications and paid, scripted interactions.
"He can never understand or appreciate your circumstances, so you will never win with him."
Persad-Bissessar said a UNC government would work to decrease taxes on people's retirement benefits and private pensions.
She said the proliferation of noise pollution emanating from homes, fetes, bars and clubs was an intolerable scourge on the mental health of citizens. A UNC government will amend noise pollution laws to protect people from noisy residential neighbours and businesses.
She said that a UNC government will establish a National Commission on the Banking and Financial Sector to ensure citizens are not exploited via predatory fees and interest rate spreads and that banks and financial institutions perform their essential developmental role of converting national savings into national investment.
She said this commission will also work to ensure a fair distribution of forex and deregulate financial bureaucracy to facilitate business transaction processing.
She also promised an end to the property tax as well as lower food prices and no electricity and water rate increases.
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She said a UNC government will ensure in all schools, the full complement of required deans of discipline, security officers, schools safety officers and police officers in schools to protect children.
She also hit the PNM's planned campign slogan: All In.
"The PNM has chosen a slogan that says 'All In' because they are all in to make your life harder. The PNM is all in with high fuel prices.
"The PNM is all in with high food prices, the PNM is all in on potholes and traffic tickets. The PNM is all in with taking away your pensions. The PNM is all in with cutting GATE.
"The PNM is all in on property tax. The PNM is all in against you and your families. The PNM is all in against legal firearms for law-abiding citizens. The PNM MPs are all in the pocket of young family financiers. They are all incompetent, they are all insensitive and all inhumane."
Hitting Prime Minister Young's promise of a Ministry of Implementation and Efficiency if the PNM wins the election on April 28, she said this latest gimmick was Young's public admission that his government failed to implement anything during its ten-year long tenure in power.
"This is an admission that the PNM government was incompetent during its past ten years in power. The nerve and gall of this man to so shamelessly declare such a ministry as if he has found the solution to all of the country’s problems.
"He said he envisions this new ministry because 'TT deserves better!' Really Stuart? Who has been in charge for the past ten years?"
She said that on April 28 in the general election, "We must not replace the raging bull with the bully."
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Candidates announced:
Saddam Hosein – Barataria/San Juan
Vandana Mohit – Chaguanas East
Dr Michael Dowlath – San Fernando West
John Michael Ali-Bocas – San Fernando East
Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj – Arouca/Lopinot
Richard Smith – Trincity/Maloney
Devesh Maharaj – Aranguez/St Joseph
Wayne Sturge – Toco/Sangre Grande
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Phillip Watts – La Horquetta/Talparo
Clyde Elder – La Brea
Ernesto Kesar – Pt Fortin
Janice Learmond-Criqui – Diego Martin/West
Brandon Butse – Diego Martin North East
Phillip Edward-Alexander – PoS St Ann's North
Robert Mitchell – Laventille West, representing the Love Movement, Mr Robert Mitchell.
Michelle Benjamin – Moruga/Tableland
Khadijah Ameen – St Augustine
Dr Roodal Moonilal – Oropouche East
