Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has done what former prime ministers Arthur NR Robinson, Patrick Manning and Basdeo Panday could not do, that is, hold a political coalition together. This was the boast of Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie in the Senate yesterday as he made his contribution to the Appropriation Bill 2014. “At the end of May 2015, she will be the first prime minister to hold a five-party coalition together.”
Tewarie said Robinson was a good prime minister and did other good things but he could not hold the coalition in the National Alliance for Reconstruction together. Panday could not hold together the same coalition with Robinson nor even different elements within his UNC, he said. Manning had to call a general election two and a half years before it was constitutionally due, which he lost because he could not hold different elements of the PNM together, Tewarie added.
Persad-Bissessar was able to do this, although she had to dismiss ministers who were from the UNC, Congress of the People and Movement for Social Justice. “She kept faith with the National Joint Action Committee and the Tobago Organisation of the People. “But, most importantly, she kept faith with the people, listening, serving, delivering, caring,” Tewarie said.
Referring to Persad-Bissessar’s recent visit to the United Nations, in New York, and her interactions with world leaders, he said, “She is bold, decisive and forthright. Sometimes she might be controversial but that is a leader at work.” Tewarie urged citizens to keep God in their thoughts and warned them not to listen to those who were out to beguile them with falsehoods.
Recalling the e-mailgate scandal, he said Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley fabricated a story to give credence to a false accusation. “Every week they weave new stories and manufacture new charges which turn out to be false and without substance.” He said the budget was well received across the board because there were no austerity measures to cause hardship and everyone was given an opportunity to save and benefit more.
Tewarie then shared the government’s vision for the next 20 years. The PP has an action plan for 2015 to 2020, and definite ideas on what kind of country they want T&T to be by 2033, he said. In 2033, T&T will be a place where all will enjoy life in a safe and economically prosperous environment. At present, T&T is classed as a high-income, developed country, Tewarie said.