Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has voiced concern over the T&T Debates Commission’s (TTDC) proposed Leaders’ Debate, including leakage of confidential information about that forum.
She did so while replying to questions during a function at the Aranguez North Secondary School where she launched the PP’s 2015 general election manifesto.
What was disturbing, the PM said, was the leakage of confidential information about the debate negotiations which had set her wondering immediately whether “they were operating in good faith and operating bona fide when they engaged us for the debate.”
Persad-Bissessar said her concern was heightened when a panellist on CNMG’s July 30 Leaders’ Exchange said the TTDC “was in the pocket of the PNM or the PNM was in the pocket of the TTDC...”
She noted that panellist was a self-professed member and an activist of the Opposition PNM.
She said in that circumstance, it seemed they had never intended to be fair to her in that debate.
The panellist, PNM activist and radio host Isha Wells, has said on radio that she had informed her party leader about the CNMG Leaders’ Exchange forum and he told her do what she thought was right. She said she did go, since she felt it was an opportunity to ask the Prime Minister questions and get her to give an account. She assured she wasn’t being paid for the appearance.
Wells said she subsequently heard statements from Tuesday’s PNM meeting that panellists were paid.
Wells also said she heard from a female PNM deputy leader who questioned why she attended the CNMG Exchange since the TTDC was “their (PNM’s) people” and “our financiers.” She felt she was being “thrown under the bus” due to that.
Yesterday, Wells only briefly said she’d dealt with her issue with the party and “I’ve moved on.”
Also, at yesterday’s function, the Prime Minister confirmed it was true a proposal was once brought to the Cabinet for a light rail system. PNM leader Keith Rowley had said at a Diego Martin meeting the Government had a plan for a mass light rail system.
Persad-Bissessar said when the UNC was in Opposition it was not opposed to a rail but was opposed to the process, the feasibility and the massive cost of a rapid rail proposed by the PNM.
She said a rapid rail involved a three-hour run. But a short run from San Juan to St Augustine required a light rail with stops along the way. She said the proposal Cabinet had received was not signed off on completely. “We looked at the issue, we’re still totally opposed to the rapid rail system as presented by the PNM because of the cost and feasibility and the efficiency of such a system.”
On the incomplete PP candidate list, Persad Bissessar said the election process provided for candidates to be nominated three weeks before the election date and nomination day was August 17. She said candidates would be presented at an August 16 rally—the day before Nomination Day.