Pensions Go Up to $2,500: PNM in Election Love

By Ria Taitt, Trinidad Express 

May 3, 2010

Trinidad and Tobago

The shaking of the political firmament in Trinidad and Tobago by the United National Congress (UNC) in Mid Centre Mall in Central, to the People’s National Movement (PNM) in Woodford Square in the North, was matched by nature’s physical tremor measuring 3.9. 

As Percy Villafana shook up the UNC rally with the roar of approval from an enthusiastic crowd imitating his trade-mark cross sign, Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley was similarly shaking up the PNM crowd as he picked up the balisier flower and waved it vigorously to tumultuous applause, before shaking hands with Manning, after being presented as a candidate. 

Prime Minister Patrick Manning also attempted to create his own tremor with a speech containing several election giveaways. He announced pension increases to $2,500 for 45,000 senior citizens as well as an increase in the minimum pension payable to retired public servants to $2,500, the removal of property tax for all citizens receiving public assistance, disability grant, senior citizen’s grants and conditional cash transfer card. 

And the Prime Minister said Government was also reviewing the property tax to see how retirees getting $60,000 and less could be relieved of the burden.

 
"This my dear friends is a ’love thing’ PNM style," Manning told the Woodford Square crowd, reverting to the slogan of the 2007 election. 

"We shall increase the stipend for short-term employment paid to graduates from $3,000 to $4,000 and from $5,000 to $6,000 per month. Yuh see ’love thing’ PNM style?" Manning said. The UNC also has election giveaways - they promise to abolish property tax and increase pension to $3,000. 

At yesterday rally all of the party’s 41 candidates were presented. But Rowley, who was down on the programme to speak, declined the invitation to do so, sources said. 

They indicated that he is expected to speak on Thursday at a meeting in his constituency. 

Manning drew firepower from an unlikely source - UNC founder Basdeo Panday. He quoted Panday’s commenting on the UNC decision to reject all Pandays as candidates: "If they (the UNC) are so vindictive now, if they get into power, what will they do to those who did not vote for them?" Said Manning: "That is a warning to all of you my dear friends." 

Manning said while UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar might win a Miss Amity, she would get naught for Prime Minister. Referring to the selection of former High Court judge Herbert Volney as a candidate, Manning asked "what other misjudgments and misdemeanours we can expect from her as Prime Minister. "Will she further threaten our democracy; seek to coerce the judiciary to rule in favour of her party and her supporters? Is our international reputation already tarnished by this sordid affair? Are international investors today already rethinking their position of investing in Trinidad and Tobago?" 

"Mrs Persad-Bissessar...does not understand what it is to be a Prime Minister...You must be beaten on the anvil of experience and forged in the cauldron of struggle. Being malleable, easy to be manipulated by her puppeteers, Jack Warner and Suruj Rambachan, easy like Sunday morning, are not qualities which the people of Trinidad and Tobago are looking for in a Prime Ministerial candidate." 

Manning said the UNC attacked the "fundamental and irreplaceable principle of our democracy" - the independence of the judiciary. He said Volney and a senior magistrate jumped from their positions as "impartial protectors of the law and dispensers of justice straight into the partisan political fray"."And they are trying to deceive the people by trying to make a case that no political discussions or negotiations were taking place while this gentleman was presiding in the courts of the land. Yuh talk about lie? That is lie!" Manning declared. "This points to real danger ahead for our democracy if this election goes the wrong way," he added. 

Saying that the PNM had heard of integrity questions surrounding the UNC St Joseph candidate, Manning asked whether Volney was appointed a judge in the Bahamas and was the appointment revoked and why. "We demand to know," he declared. 

Manning said Persad-Bissessar could not pretend that everything was "honky-dory, speaking platitudinous nonsense, praising the former judge for his sacrifice as though he is some kind of hero to be emulated. He is not a hero in any way," the Prime Minister thundered. 

Manning said the Opposition lacked any vision or plan for the development of the country. Detailing PNM’s programmes in every area of development, he said: "They (the opposition) are fighting an entire election on only one thing on their mind. Manning must go, they say. But I told them before and I will tell them again, ’Manning not going anywhere except right back to Manning’.

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