Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
Patriotic Front (PF) political leader Mickela Panday promises there will be no mudslinging or divisive politics in the party’s campaign.
In her address at a function held on her father, the late Basdeo Panday’s 91st birthday at the party’s South Regional Office at the Twin Walls compound, La Romain, on Saturday, she said her father genuinely believed in non-discrimination and equality for all.
Panday said that was the foundation on which the PF was built. She added that the party is humanitarian and intends to rid the country of divisive politics.
“In doing so, we are not here to mud sling or send messages of hate, fear, bitterness or to divide you. We are here to provide hope for all our citizens in a very dark time in our nation’s history. Today, we have answered your call to challenge the status quo and to change the current social and political landscape of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said
She promised to lead a fearless campaign and that the PF will do things differently.
“We stand at the precipice of a new era for our beloved nation, an era where the tired, fractured political landscape of the past must give way to fresh vision and to leadership rooted in the principles that make us human. For too long, we have suffered under parties that peddle division, that cling to power while our people struggle,” she said.
Panday said T&T has lost economic opportunities because industries are closed down instead of fixed and her party is committed to engaging with workers, trade unions and relevant stakeholders to rectify economically and socially irresponsible decisions.
She said the party’s symbol, a heart in the national colours, designed by former government minister John Humprey, represents love for the country and willingness to defend it.
Panday said the party plans to contest the 41 seats in the next general election and nominations for potential candidates open today.