Manning hints
at early elections
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworld.com
09 17 06
Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday that
it was becoming clearer that he could call elections
before they are constitutionally due because of
the developments in the UNC opposition.
Addressing
an energetic crowd at the PNM Women's League 40th
annual conference at the Chaguanas Junior Secondary
School he said: "Anytime I see the white of
the eye, I will shoot." He said he will fire
political shots if necessary before the due 2007
general elections.
Manning
said the time was becoming safe to call elections.
"From what appears to be emerging, the kankatang
(in the UNC) now about to start, but I leave that
to them. We will continue to move the country forward,"
Manning said.
He
told the crowd that on the basis of the performance
of the PNM, the UNC "will be in Opposition
for a long time, and it better be so, because they
have no commitment to you, or the country."
Manning
said: "It's not the PNM PM who get two years.
I am not a convicted felon of Trinidad and Tobago
and the PNM is not led by any convicted felon."
Manning
said his government was "watching inflation
very closely," and had established a Cabinet
sub-committee on the Construction sector. "The
committee is looking gat the subject of escalating
prices and deciding how to increase the supply of
the items."
"So
you will see the prices of a number of items coming
down - like aggregate, cement.... as government
move to contain construction cost within acceptable
levels," he said .
Manning
said government had to settle the issues of new
constitutional arrangement. "But whatever the
PNM proposes will be the subject of scrutiny by
the electorate in a general elections. The people
will decide how they wish us to go," he added.
Also
addressing the conference was Elizabeth Thompson,
Minister of Energy and the environment of Barbados.
She urged Manning, just as he had offered to supply
her country with natural gas, to settle the fishing
issue with Barbados.
In
reply, Manning said he saw no problems why reasonable
men and women of goodwill witting around a table
could not resolve problems and he looked forward
"to talks with our colleagues from Barbados
to settle once and for all the issue of fish."
Trinidad
Express
Monday, September 11th 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Express . All Rights Reserved.
