(Trinidad Express) Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and former top cop Gary Griffith have joined forces for the August 14 local government election with both declaring that the common enemy is Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who must be removed.
The former prime minister yesterday announced that an “accommodation” was achieved with Griffith’s National Transformation Alliance (NTA), the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) and the Movement for National Development (MND).
The UNC will contest 110 electoral districts and the NTA will field 31 candidates with some of the smaller parties pledging to lend support to the UNC/NTA on the ground in the campaigns.
Persad-Bissessar was speaking at the launch of the UNC candidates at Naparima College, San Fernando, last night.
Noting that the people of Trinidad and Tobago are gripped by fear with unabated criminality, Persad-Bissessar said that securing this country requires all hands on deck and for parties to work together in a national effort. “We must move beyond the divide and rule politics, the politics that the PNM always push at election time. Straight from their playbook. We must not be distracted,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said that UNC has taken a major step toward creating a “truly united, national force”.
“This is a movement of hope. This is a movement of unity. This is a movement of togetherness. We need this now more than ever, if we want to rebuild Trinidad and Tobago from the mess that the PNM has put our beautiful country in,” said Persad-Bissessar. “So, despite the hurt and abuse this PNM regime has inflicted on you these past seven years, we cannot lose hope. I say Don’t tote-vote!” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said people power is needed at the polls to stand up against Rowley in protest of crime, high food prices, property tax and the imposition of an inheritance tax (denied by the PNM) and continued suffering of people.
She said a united force will work towards rebuilding T&T as she pledged to secure this nation with 1,400 Municipal police officers (100 in every Corporation) are being hired to ensure there are more protective boots on the ground.
The NTA presented its 31 candidates at the Queen’s Park Cricket Club, Port of Spain, yesterday.
In his address, Griffith announced that his party will be lending support to the UNC and he is willing to walk with the UNC candidates to secure victory at the local polls including on the campaign trail for the San Fernando City Corporation.
Griffith declared this will be the “mother of all local government elections in Trinidad and Tobago” and that the NTA will paint Trinidad “blue” (the NTAs colour) and attain victory.
He said both he and Persad-Bissessar understood that this Rowley-led Government is unable to deal with crime.
He questioned all those who were waving PNM balisier flags on Sunday, whether they are not concerned about their relatives being murdered and raped.
“I am here to unite the country and I intend to make Trinidad and Tobago safe again,” he said.
Griffith emphasised the need for patriotism and the importance of a coalition.
“The concept of coalition Government is something that can work, it puts checks and balances into a country and it ensures that you will avoid that what is known as democratic dictatorship…it is important we need to rally together,” he said.
He noted that in T&T every single time there is a coalition, the PNM is defeated and this is seen in the 1986, 1995 and the 2010 general elections.
“I play to win and I can tell you one thing, we are going to be in Government in 2025,” he said.
He said the NTA team will be contesting seats in the “bridge” constituencies where there are some 200,000 people who want another political option.
He noted further that the UNC has the support of over 300,000 citizens.
Griffith asked all other political parties to come on board and unite Trinidad and Tobago and work with them “side by side”.
