Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said nominations for every general election seat will be open from next month as the country moves towards an election year.
Constitutionally, a general election is due before the end of 2025.
Speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the Couva South Multipurpose Hall on Monday night, the former prime minister said her party will begin building a team to rescue Trinidad and Tobago and restore safety and security.
“As we prepare to move into an election year, I serve notice tonight the United National Congress will open nominations for every single general election seat,” she said.
Nomination forms will be available at the headquarters in December, she said.
Persad-Bissessar reminded her audience that during her tenure as prime minister there was governance that was people-centred.
She said she hopes that the Rowley Government does something for the children of this country this year for Christmas as she showed news reports of more than 50,000 gifts given to children nationwide as well as thousands of hampers when she was PM.
Persad-Bissessar said as prime minister she ensured that the community benefited and, during Eid, mosques were given grants, during Divali temples received funding and so did the churches during Christmas.
She said her government removed VAT from a large number of food items and during Christmas there was a 20 per cent cut in the prices of flour, oil and rice.
The People’s National Movement (PNM) does not care for its supporters but instead their ministers, such as Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi’s family receives millions in rentals, she said.
She noted that UNC deputy leader Jearlean John claimed that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley got botox as she quipped that the Prime Minister “botox his heart too” because it’s hard against the people.
“I know the UNC is not perfect but when in office, we get things done. Rowley’s Government has no achievement in eight going on nine years,” she said.
She said in five years there are tangible deliverables that the nation can see.
“We cut taxes! We increased wages. We created jobs. We gave laptops to all children,” she said.
She said under the PNM, marijuana was legalised.
“If someone offered you a choice between which one would you choose?” she asked.
Persad-Bissessar said her government built the Couva Children’s Hospital, the Debe campus, hundreds of roads, bridges, and schools.
“We controlled inflation. We brought down crime, protected lives, we secured the border,” she boasted.
Said Persad-Bissessar: “We had the highest foreign exchange reserves in our history, we had the highest GDP in our history. We created over 55,000 new jobs.”
