Gail Alexander
The Opposition has said that the PNM’s late manifesto is akin to PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley’s leadership, lacking substance.
The Opposition said the manifesto is simply a mashup of rehashed previous promises plus it takes credit for projects done by the past PP Government.
The UNC presented its Economic Plan for Transformation last month. The UNC’s plan is based on an Economic Plan for T&T, which was presented during the 2020 Budget last October and it was retooled to deal with issues and challenges facing T&T presented by the COVID- 19 pandemic.
The PNM’s manifesto was released publicly on Sunday.
It was briefly released last Saturday then pulled back two hours after it was issued.
The UNC stated, “Mere days before the general election, and with the nation facing significant uncertainty, the PNM released a ‘manifesto’. This was a pathetic, last-ditch effort by Rowley that failed to make the grade. There’s no vision or suggestion for a better future for T&T,’’ the UNC said.
“They haven’t presented a plan, but a mashup of rehashed promises from successive budgets over their term, their 2015 manifesto, the reworked Vision 2030, and the Roadmap to Recovery report. It is a slap in the face to T&T’s citizens that the PNM is using the Government’s actions in dealing with COVID-19 as the basis for their election campaign.’’
The UNC stated the PNM is far removed from the reality of the economic crisis facing T&T “... which has come about due to their incompetence and mismanagement. They failed to put forward any substantive plans for diversification, revenue generation or job creation.”
“It’s also unacceptable the PNM is shamelessly trying to take credit for several projects completed by the Government led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, by listing them as PNM achievements. One of these is the Couva Children’s Hospital - a project Rowley vilified for over four years, and it was only when the pandemic hit they allowed access to this state-of-the-art facility.’’
“This document is an insult to the voting population. The people of T&T deserve better than the arrogance and incompetence of Dr Rowley and his team.’’