Opposition MP Marlene McDonald says the People's Partnership Government is setting the stage for instability in the country.McDonald made the claim while addressing a meeting of the People's National Movement (PNM) at Bourne's Road, St James, on Saturday night.Speaking in support of the PNM's candidates for the Port-of-Spain City Corporation in the October 21 local government elections, McDonald said the Government was discriminating against the people of the capital city and particularly residents of east Port-of-Spain.
She said all the Government's major projects were being constructed in central and south Trinidad."Nothing for Port-of-Spain," she shouted, adding she wanted to know why the St James Youth Centre was not delivered to the people since 2010.According to McDonald, the speedy refurbishment of schools was also not a priority for Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh.She noted that there were problems at the Woodbrook and South-East Secondary schools, with the latter being closed since the start of the school term. She said construction of Rose Hill Roman Catholic School was at a standstill with "no explanation" for the state of affairs at the school.
Gopeesingh has said repeatedly in the past weeks that the Educational Facilities Company is doing all it can to ensure schools were refurbished as quickly as possible.McDonald said some $27 million was spent on the country's 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations, but people in poor communities were being starved of even the barest necessities."What this Government is doing is fanning the flames of instability in this country," McDonald said."Citizens are being marginalised. The economy is stagnant and ordinary people cannot make ends meet."