(Trinidad Express) Several major findings emerge from this annual survey of public opinion as it relates to governance. Perhaps the most significant, though perhaps not the most surprising finding, was that both the People’s National Movement and the United National Congress are imploding, if we measure that development by the public standing of their political leaders.
Both Mr Manning and Mr Panday seem locked in a ’race to the bottom’. Mr Manning’s performance as Prime Minister is given a positive rating by a mere 16 per cent of the adult population. Eighty per cent turned their thumbs down. Seventy-two per cent believe that he should leave the political stage when his term of office comes to an end in 2012.
Mr Panday has also achieved ’lame duck’ status and will lose the intra party election if the elections are fairly conducted. Mr Panday is also running behind Mr Rowley, Mr Dookeran, Mr Manning and Mrs Bissessar in the Prime Ministerial Stakes, if victory was decided on the basis of leadership popularity. The support given to the four were Rowley, 20 per cent, Dookeran, 17 per cent, Bissessar, 13 per cent, Manning 14 per cent.
If we look at preference for parties as opposed to leaders, the PNM is ahead with 23 per cent, a coalition of opposition sources with Panday included in it, 11 per cent, a coalition of opposition parties with Panday excluded from it, 29 per cent. If the opposition parties are disaggregated, the UNC has the support of six per cent of the population, and the COP 14 per cent. As many as 27 per cent however say that they would not vote, while ten per cent refuse to say what they would do. The situation is very fluid and the electorate is confused.
Another clear finding of the survey is the extent to which Mr Rowley has surpassed Mr Manning as the most widely supported Afro-Trinidadian political figure.
When placed in a ’one-on-one battle’ with Mr Manning, the latter is trumped 41-17 per cent. When all potential candidates are all put within the starting gates, Mr Rowley leads the pack with 20 per cent, with Mr Manning far behind, with 14 per cent.
Even when the results are looked at through ethnic lenses, Mr Rowley trumps Mr Manning. Mr Manning has an Afro-Indo 22-6 split while Mr Rowley has an Afro-Indo 33 to six split. No wonder Mr Manning is trying to find ways to politically disable Mr Rowley.
Other findings are that an overwhelming majority believe that the Government is a spendthrift; few expect any significant benefits to accrue from the hosting of the two summits (12 per cent); a majority believe that the government is intent on controlling the media (59 per cent), the judiciary (60 per cent), and that the Prime Minister has ambitions to create a presidential monarchy (63 per cent).
