PEP Supports Kamla Again

Caption: UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar listens to PEP political leader Phillip Edward Alexander at a political meeting in March. AZP News/Sue-Ann Wayow

THE Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) led by Phillip Edward Alexander, has announced its support again for Kamla Persad Bissessar following her recent declarations on crucial national issues. 

Persad Bissessar’s opposition to a cashless society and property tax, along with her commitment to reform the administration of justice, aligns with the PEP’s priorities, Alexander said in a release on Wednesday.

Alexander praised her courage in addressing these topics, which he deems critical for Trinidad & Tobago’s future. This endorsement comes as former MP Fuad Khan also criticised the government’s handling of the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, echoing the PEP’s stance on national sovereignty and governance.

PEP had initially supported the UNC but then said that it was going it on its own.

Alexander latest endorsement comes after Persad-Bissessar slammed National Alliance for Transformation (NTA) Gary Griffith tenure as police commissioner.

On Monday evening, Persad-Bissessar referring the track record of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) said, “For the last nine years, there’s been an out-of-control crime spree because they have no plan or policy, only arrogance, and interference in selection of a CoP…”

She added, “First, they bypassed the top three selections – one, (Deodat) Dulalchan, two, (Harold) Philip and three, (Stephen) Williams, to handpick the fourth-ranked person, Gary Griffith.

“During Griffith’s time, we had 2018 (523 murders), 2019 (539 murders), 2020 (Covid’s many months of lockdowns, 396 murders), 2021 (448 murders) – 1,906 murders spanning the years 2018 to 2021 under Griffith. The PNM interfered and put the fourth-ranked person.

“Then they interfered to intercept the merit list to kick out Griffith. They handpicked McDonald Jacob (2022 – 613 murders). Then they chose Erla (2023 – 577 murders; eight months in 2024, over 400 murders). We’ve had almost 4,500 murders under this Government.”

Griffith responded, “Her comments about my tenure as Commissioner of Police, where she falsely claimed I was a failure, only serve to highlight her lack of understanding of national security. 

“The truth is that under my leadership, public trust in the police increased significantly to 59%, and we achieved the highest reduction in violent crime in 17 years—a fact that stands in stark contrast to her baseless claims. 

“And as is now widely known, it wasn’t because of Covid, since October and November 2021 saw 58 and 69 murders respectively, the third and most murderous months at the time, which was achieved after my departure but Covid, curfew and SoE still existed., meaning , just like Keith Rowley, she attempted to mislead the country.”