I have a question to ask the electorates when going to cast vote your votes in Monday’s election.Are you better off now or in 2015?.
We have to look at the issues that confront us today and keep away from voting along racial, tribalism and ethnicity.One of the main issues affecting the citizens today is unemployment,in the private sector and state agencies. You know how you feel when you cannot put food on the table for your children and depend on relatives or to pay your rents,mortages,utility bills,to make groceries and markets.
The other issue is the loss of lives. Do you feel safe in your homes or when going to and from your homes?
The murder rate under this government in 2019 was the second highest in the history of our country. So when you look at the murder rate since this government came into power it’s higher than any previous governments. This government has failed miserably in reducing the murder rate which is at an all time high .
Another important issue that wasn’t addressed by this government is the trade disputes by the trade union movements for daily paid workers and monthly paid employees from the military, the TTPS, the protective services, public servants and teachers all who are still working on 2013 salaries .
This government under Prime Minister Dr.Keith Christopher Rowley chose to built highways and neglect the main, secondary and agricultural access roads which are riddled with potholes, depressions and landslides. I am challenging anyone to drive around in the rural areas in our country to see for yourself as compared to other roads that are in better conditions are milled and repaved .
You know what this government has done very well for five years and you see on television in a paid political broadcast to the nation by the line Minister boasting about the inceases in disabilities grants and other grants, for the less vunerables ones in our country what we call hands out in exchange to get votes. Instead of boosting food production in the abandon estates by giving incentives to farmers to plants more short and permanent crops to put food in people mouths and the same time reducing the food import bills.
In 2018 the Prime Minister in his capacity as Chairman of the national security council of Trinidad and Tobago announced to the nation that there was a plot by Muslims to disrupt the carnival celebration, raids were conducted on mosques, but that turned out to be not true.
The Prime Minister painted a bad image on all muslims in this country. We were labelled as terrorists locally and internationally. There was no apology to muslims for the statement.
Last and by no means least I have to ask myself one question why did the government put a date in advance to register Venezuelans instead of registering Venezuelans who are in the country already.
What we saw was an exodus of illegal immigrants entering the country through our porous borders.
You always have to put your house in order first or think about the vagrants on the streets and poor people in our country who cannot get to eat a meal when the day comes.
So let your conscience be your guide before going to vote and ask yourself one question before casting your votes: Are you better off now under this regime or in 2015.
Rasheed Khan
Coryal Village
via email