Prime Minister Patrick Manning, right, is greeted by supporters as he arrives at Harris Promenade on Monday night. PHOTO: RISHI RAGOONATH

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has thanked ousted Chaguanas Mayor Surujrattan Rambachan for his service to the borough and people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking on a PNM political platform in San Fernando Monday night, Manning said Rambachan’s party, the United National Congress (UNC), in its wisdom, thought it must change at that level and they did. “That is their right,” Manning said, pointing out that no changes would be made to the PNM controlled corporations. And he congratulated San Fernando Mayor Ken Ferguson who will be sworn in for another year on Friday. However, Manning condemned one of Rambachan’s UNC colleagues Dr Tim Gopeesingh for “ethnic cleansing” comments made in the Parliament last Friday.

He said Gopeesingh’s claim of “ethnic cleansing” among the medical profession was particularly offensive because it did not take into consideration efforts made to bring about racial harmony over the years. “What mattered to him was his own narrow political objectives,” Manning said. Speaking about the vision of the late party founder Dr Eric Williams, Manning said the PNM came to unify and to create one society and one people out of the disparate groups at the time. He urged citizens to cut out the race talk and strive to live together in racial harmony and peace.

As the PNM political education caravan on Local Government reform rolled into the college of Harris Promenade, Manning called on citizens to look deep within their hearts and make the commitment. “When I talk about racial harmony, I don’t want it to be merely words coming from your lips,” Manning said. “It is only love that can change hearts,” he told the audience, advising them to avoid making statements that could be a source of aggravation to people who were different from them. The Prime Minister said he did not want to be judged by the colour of his skin or the texture of his hair and appealed to the audience not to judge others by their ethnicity, but by the strength of their character.

Pointing out that all of the peoples came from elsewhere, Manning underscored that T&T belonged to the sons and daughters of Quashie and Ram, and none were better than none. “It belongs to all of us and our responsibility is to ensure that whatever difference may exist among us, we seek to live with our brothers and sisters in harmony and peace.” Turning to the illicit drug and gun trade, which he said was responsible for most of the death and destruction in the country, Manning said they were in the process of intensifying the border patrols. He said six fast patrol boats, which were being constructed in Australia, should be delivered by November this year.

When that happens, he said, they would be in a better position to stem the flow of drugs and guns from South America to T&T. Focusing on local government reform Manning said the system was far superior to the one presently existing and was worth postponing elections for another year. He added that in the new system Chaguanas and Arima would receive City status and Point Fortin and La Brea would be incorporated into one Borough. He said concerns about employment at that level would be addressed when he resumes his political education in Arima next Monday.