‘We are going to glue our country together again, with love and service’ – Kamla Persad-Bissessar
By Sue-Ann Wayow
A VOTE for the United National Congress (UNC) in the August 14 Local Government Election (LGE) is a vote for oneself, one’s family and the securing of a future filled with hope and good governance.
This, UNC’s political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised supporters on Monday night as the party presented their candidates to contest the election.
A vote for the UNC was also a vote to say no to additional taxes, whether at the groceries, via properties, reductions in salaries or even in death as in the case of the inheritance tax, she said.
The UNC presented its candidates at Naparima College, San Fernando, to a packed venue, inside and outside the auditorium.
‘We need at least 1,400 more municipal police boots on the ground throughout Trinidad’
The political leader also confirmed the UNC has joined forces with four political parties to fight on a united front against the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM).
They are the National Transformation Alliance (NTA) which also launched candidates on Monday, the Independent Liberal Party (ILP), Movement for National Development (MND) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Persad-Bissessar said it was bittersweet for her to not have everyone who offered themselves up to contest the election be chosen, expressing love and thanks to those who were not successful this time asking for their continued support.
She led those elected in reading a pledge to serve publicly.
Declaring that the UNC was the only party that truly loved and cared for citizens, with Trinidad and Tobago being a nation shattered into piece, love will be the glue to put the country back together.
That was the love the UNC had for citizens, Persad-Bissessar said.
She said, “We are going to glue our country together again, with love and service. We will glue together the broken fragments that this government has splintered our beloved country into, but we will do it with love.”
With the crime, rising costs of living and fear being the main issues citizens faced, Persad-Bissessar listed out the UNC plans for a better Trinidad.
Protection is high on the list
To address violence in schools, she said UNC-controlled corporations will deploy the municipal police to secure schools and the streets that students use to walk home or to go get a taxi home.
“We will also ensure that there is more communication between the municipal police, local government councillors and the police stations in each division. Every one of us, can agree that communication between the municipal police, councillors and the police service is a vital step in stopping the ever expanding crime problem,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She advised burgesses to talk to their councillors about what was happening in their communities for them to take the information to put it on record in the Local Government meetings with the municipal police and the Police Division representative at the monthly regional meeting.
UNC-controlled corporations will also use the power and resources of Local Government to bring back the Community Comfort Patrols, she said.
Persad-Bissessar said, “The UNC will use all its power in and outside of the Parliament to create secure jobs within the municipal police. We need at least 1,400 more municipal police boots on the ground throughout Trinidad. That is 100 new officers in every regional corporation. That is a mandate I am setting for myself as UNC Leader.”
Street lighting would also be improved to dispel the fear of criminals lurking in dark areas.
The political leader also reassured that she was committed to fighting for the passage of Stand Your Ground legislation and making legal gun ownership easier.
UNC executive members David Lee, Jearlean John and Dr Roodal Moonilal also spoke at the event.
