Manning wants PM to call early election

Former prime minister Patrick Manning wants his successor Kamla Persad-Bissessar to call an early election, saying her state of emergency crime fight has failed. He made the call during a press conference at his San Fernando East constituency office at GTM Building yesterday. Manning, who called early elections twice in his political career and lost on both occasions—in 1995 and 2010—said the state of emergency should be discontinued with immediate effect. “The state of emergency is an ultimate weapon,” he said. “After a state of emergency, the only thing you could do is to call a general election because if that has failed, then what you are saying is ‘I have fired my best shot, it has not worked, I have no other shots to fire and the time has come for the population to decide what it wants to do.’

“That is the only way forward,” he added. He said that by continuing the state of emergency, the Government was showing that “it is not prepared to govern T&T within the structures of democracy.” “The PNM never chose that option and we don’t intend ever to do something like that,” Manning reiterated. Asked by reporters whether he had received an invitation to the PNM’s post- budget meetings, he said: “I have an open invitation.” He also revealed that he met with Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley for one and a half hours last Wednesday. During the press conference, Manning spoke for half an hour about anti-drug and money laundering initiatives which were put in place under his government.

These included establishment of the Special Anti-Crime Unit, purchase of 14 interceptor boats, six fast patrol boats and three offshore patrol vessels, four helicopters and a radar system. Manning said he had also planned to install scanners at the port in 2009. He claimed, however, that the People’s Partnership administration was undermining these initiatives. Manning said it was not acceptable that the purchase of the OPVs were cancelled on the basis of faulty fire- operating systems. “If there is a problem, all that is required is for the manufacturers to correct it...That is all,” he said. “The boats have a warranty period and the manufacturers can easily correct it.” Manning asked why there had been no big cocaine busts under the state of emergency and why casinos had not been raided.

Manning also criticised Persad-Bissessar’s Colour Me Orange campaign, saying she showed disrespect and discourtesy by making participants stand up and do a routine of “hands up, hands out.” “I get very annoyed when I see things like that,” the former PM said. “It is disrespect and it is discourtesy and a continuation of the way this government has been operating, and that has to stop. “This is not a country of first and second-class citizens...Everybody in T&T has a right in T&T. “For the time being I take strong umbrage to the Prime Minister of this country treating citizens as if they are schoolchildren by doing stands up, hands up and hands out.” Manning promised to address race issues at a another press conference.