Framed photos of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar were snapped up by supporters at the Mid-Centre Mall, Chaguanas, last night as the People' Partnership celebrated its first year in office. Thousands joined in the celebrations which saw all coalition parties renewing their commitment to work under Persad-Bissessar's stewardship. The few vendors who sold the glossy photos of the PM did not have enough to supply fans, many of whom waved lighted flags and banners as they danced to the music of Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon, Benjai and Roy Cape All Stars.
The celebration started promptly at 7.30 pm. Leader of Government Business in the House Dr Roodal Moonilal took the stage along with Senator David Abdulah to highlight the partnership's one year of achievements. Moonilal said: "It was just one year ago that you and thousands of nationals in T&T removed Manning, Keith Rowley, Colm Imbert and installed our beloved Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar." He boasted about the 28-page report of the PP's accomplishments over the past year.
He said: "We achieved in one year what the PNM could not achieve in nine years. We gave out laptops.
We started building the highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin. We replaced the Navet trunk line so that 300,000 more people will get water. "In one year we gave the police their special allowance of $1,000. We identified lands to build the UWI South Campus at Debe. We paving road in Pluck Road, Tulsa Trace, Central Port-of-Spain and we sent buses to Tobago," Moonilal said. Youth speaker Nicholas Morris also boasted of Government's achievement of granting approvals to the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of T&T (COSTAATT), University of West Indies and University of T&T to set up campuses in Tobago.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Errol McLeod, who has been molibilising support for his party, the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), also renewed his support for Persad-Bissessar. He also poked jabs at Patrick Manning, calling him the 12th emperor and king. He said: "Manning thought he would have been 12th king and monarch of T&T but crapaud smoked his pipe that time. Royalty must have class. "The lowly and humbled will be exalted. We were drawn into the battle on May 24 and we were led by a queen, our mother 24. "She had no pretentions of infallibility, nor did she consume herself in self-righteousness," Mc Leod said. He added: "Definite challenges confront us as we seek to bring about change, based on fairness, equity and social justice. "When we came into Government we inherited plans and programmes which emphasised glitzy Government offices and five-star hotels with rapidly dwindling financial crisis, exacerbated by global financial meltdown and in the face of lack of proper prioritising in the last administration.
"We have been plagued with growing unemployment and collapsing social services," McLeod said.
He noted Government was committed to the youth and would work diligently to bring about development to the country. Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) political leader Ashworth Jack said before the Partnership came into Government there were hardly any buses working in Tobago.
Now, he boasted, there were more than 40 buses in Tobago.