Prime Ministerial hopeful Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called on citizens to "grab the moment and take back Trinidad and Tobago" from Patrick Manning. "This time is too important. There can be no waking up on the morning of May 25 with regret that each of us did not do what we should have done," Persad-Bissessar implored. "You did not wait for me, I waited for you. This is not my time, it is your time." She made an appeal for supporters to vote out the PNM. "Do you want five more years of the last five years?...Do you want five more years of being ignored? No?...then give me your hand and join me." She pointed out that on January 24 she became UNC political leader, on February 24 she became Opposition Leader and on May 24, the date of the 2010 general election, she would liberate the people from Manning and free them from his rule.
Persad-Bissessar arrived around 8.50 pm on Friday after attending a function at the Indian Women's Association. Her entrance was heralded with Canadian singer, Celine Dion's A new day has come. The thousands gathered at the event erupted in cheers and applause with hundreds waving little yellow UNC flags. She was speaking at a UNC public political meeting entitled, "Let's take charge now," which was held at the Emerald Plaza car park in St Augustine on Friday night, hours after Manning announced the May 24 election date. Attorney Garvin Nicholas and Khadijah Ameen chaired the meeting. Ameen was one of the prospective UNC candidates for the St Augustine seat.
ABOVE: ?The crowd listens attentively during the UNC political meeting held at Emerald Plaza, St Augustine, on Friday.