KAMLA Persad-Bissessar (KPB), the leader of the United National Congress (UNC), stands out as a larger-than-life figure in Trinidad and Tobago’s political arena.
As the first woman to serve as prime minister from 2010 to 2015, she shown incredible leadership, vision, and an undying commitment to the welfare of her country, the people and the nation’s children.
As Trinidad and Tobago is heading into a general elections, Persad-Bissessar’s candidacy for prime minister is the only choice we can make now, and we will look at why she is the right leader at this crucial juncture in our time.
When she served as prime minister, Persad-Bissessar piloted several significant initiatives that have had only positive impacts on our nation. Her administration went all out to build hospitals and improving our healthcare system, our education, and by improving infrastructure by providing the groundwork for sustainable development.
Under her government, the introduction of the Children’s Life Fund, focused on providing financial assistance for life-saving medical treatments for children that saved lives and showed her commitment to the most vulnerable members of society.
Persad-Bissessar’s leadership steered Trinidad and Tobago into a period of economic stability and growth.
Her administration focused on well planned but fair fiscal policies and strategic investments that took us to new heights during a time of global economic downturns. By prioritising education and transformation, she was also able to keep the nation’s oil and gas sector afloat way better than the current administration, ensuring a more buoyant and sustainable economy for us.
During her tenure, KPB implemented several initiatives to address crime in the country one that was quite effective was the State of Emergency. In August 2011, a state of emergency was declared to counteract the increased in violent crime, especially gang-related activities.
Curfews were used effectively and increased police and military presence in certain areas where we saw a rapid decrease in crime in the hot spots in Trinidad and Tobago. Under KPB’s government she introduced and passed the Anti-Gang Act in 2011, aimed at destroying criminal gangs that has now become a virtual infection unabated in T&T under the current administration.
The legislation provided for increased penalties for gang-related activities and allowed law enforcement to target gang members more effectively. We need a strong will like that again. The administration focused on community policing initiatives to build better relationships between the police and the communities. We need to refocus like this again to make it easier to prevent and solve crimes.
The KPB’s government invested in proper updated equipment for the police force, providing better training, and resources to improve their efficiency in fighting crime. This included the forming specialised units to targeting specific types of crime.
KPB also looked at Judicial Reforms. In an effort to improve the efficiency of the judicial system, her administration took action to reduce the backlog of cases and accelerate the trial process. This was done to ensure faster justice as slow justice is justice denied.
Some rubbling from certain quarters have compared KPB to Joe Biden and suggested that she should step aside. This is just rubbish as KPB is still on the top of her game which is a stark contrast when compared with Joe Biden. T
here is no comparing KPB to Joe Biden as was a recent rant by party dissidents when looking at cognitive abilities. Persad-Bissessar has demonstrated her continued sharpness, clarity, and robustness in the political arena, consistently showing her ability to speak fluently and coherently on her policies with vision and precision. Unlike Joe Biden, we all have seen the decline of President Biden’s cognitive abilities and his eventual decision not to seek re-election in the upcoming 2024 presidential race. We must recognise that there is not any comparisons between KPB and Joe Biden and KPB has consistently proven her capabilities and political strength over and over again.
KPB track record speaks for itself and her commitment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago makes her an outstanding candidate for prime minister. Really she’s a cut above the rest. Her leadership has already shown us how a true leader can make positive changes that brought in a brighter future for the nation once before. In effect she has better leadership qualities than the current prime minister and voting her in as the next prime minister is more crucial than ever. We need a positive change for a brighter future and she is the woman for the job!
Neill Gosine is an insurance executive. He is sometimes a temporary Opposition Senator, an ex-treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NP). He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration MBA, BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited
Commentary: KPB Only Choice for PM
KAMLA Persad-Bissessar (KPB), the leader of the United National Congress (UNC), stands out as a larger-than-life figure in Trinidad and Tobago’s political arena.
As the first woman to serve as prime minister from 2010 to 2015, she shown incredible leadership, vision, and an undying commitment to the welfare of her country, the people and the nation’s children.
As Trinidad and Tobago is heading into a general elections, Persad-Bissessar’s candidacy for prime minister is the only choice we can make now, and we will look at why she is the right leader at this crucial juncture in our time.
When she served as prime minister, Persad-Bissessar piloted several significant initiatives that have had only positive impacts on our nation. Her administration went all out to build hospitals and improving our healthcare system, our education, and by improving infrastructure by providing the groundwork for sustainable development.
Under her government, the introduction of the Children’s Life Fund, focused on providing financial assistance for life-saving medical treatments for children that saved lives and showed her commitment to the most vulnerable members of society.
Persad-Bissessar’s leadership steered Trinidad and Tobago into a period of economic stability and growth.
Her administration focused on well planned but fair fiscal policies and strategic investments that took us to new heights during a time of global economic downturns. By prioritising education and transformation, she was also able to keep the nation’s oil and gas sector afloat way better than the current administration, ensuring a more buoyant and sustainable economy for us.
During her tenure, KPB implemented several initiatives to address crime in the country one that was quite effective was the State of Emergency. In August 2011, a state of emergency was declared to counteract the increased in violent crime, especially gang-related activities.
Curfews were used effectively and increased police and military presence in certain areas where we saw a rapid decrease in crime in the hot spots in Trinidad and Tobago. Under KPB’s government she introduced and passed the Anti-Gang Act in 2011, aimed at destroying criminal gangs that has now become a virtual infection unabated in T&T under the current administration.
The legislation provided for increased penalties for gang-related activities and allowed law enforcement to target gang members more effectively. We need a strong will like that again. The administration focused on community policing initiatives to build better relationships between the police and the communities. We need to refocus like this again to make it easier to prevent and solve crimes.
The KPB’s government invested in proper updated equipment for the police force, providing better training, and resources to improve their efficiency in fighting crime. This included the forming specialised units to targeting specific types of crime.
KPB also looked at Judicial Reforms. In an effort to improve the efficiency of the judicial system, her administration took action to reduce the backlog of cases and accelerate the trial process. This was done to ensure faster justice as slow justice is justice denied.
Some rubbling from certain quarters have compared KPB to Joe Biden and suggested that she should step aside. This is just rubbish as KPB is still on the top of her game which is a stark contrast when compared with Joe Biden. T
here is no comparing KPB to Joe Biden as was a recent rant by party dissidents when looking at cognitive abilities. Persad-Bissessar has demonstrated her continued sharpness, clarity, and robustness in the political arena, consistently showing her ability to speak fluently and coherently on her policies with vision and precision. Unlike Joe Biden, we all have seen the decline of President Biden’s cognitive abilities and his eventual decision not to seek re-election in the upcoming 2024 presidential race. We must recognise that there is not any comparisons between KPB and Joe Biden and KPB has consistently proven her capabilities and political strength over and over again.
KPB track record speaks for itself and her commitment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago makes her an outstanding candidate for prime minister. Really she’s a cut above the rest. Her leadership has already shown us how a true leader can make positive changes that brought in a brighter future for the nation once before. In effect she has better leadership qualities than the current prime minister and voting her in as the next prime minister is more crucial than ever. We need a positive change for a brighter future and she is the woman for the job!
Neill Gosine is an insurance executive. He is sometimes a temporary Opposition Senator, an ex-treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NP). He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration MBA, BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited