Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has urged citizens not to heed the “spoilt ballot” lobby from Third Force Movement leader Timothy Hamel-Smith.
Speaking at a United National Congress Diego Martin North East constituency meeting, at Massy Express stores in Maraval on Thursday night, she said “Go out and vote, that is your democratic right...you have a right to vote. When you go to vote do not spoil any ballots.”
“If you don’t want to vote, stay home and those of you who go out to vote—put your X by the PP parties’ symbols.”
The crowd didn’t completely fill the car park, but featured a strong local Diego Martin North East presence, mainly supporters of UNC Diego Martin North East candidate Garvin Nicholas and many youths.
Persad-Bissessar who arrived at the meeting around 10.38 pm, after appearances at other locations including another Maraval Town Hall meeting, opened her address with the comment that she had also visited Sangre Grande and that area had “gone clear—the energy is there.”
She said she went to San Juan/Barataria and that too “...has gone clear—PP victory.”
The PM said she was sure Nicholas would become the next Diego Martin North East MP.
Persad-Bissessar said a multi-section bridge would be built to transport commuters between Diego Martin and the Chaguaramas peninsula. She said the first stages involving environmental assessments and other work would be completed in 180 days and five ministries would coordinate work with the Chaguaramas Development Authority.
Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar said the PP felt the winds of change were blowing in the East-West corridor and the margins were getting wider. But he said this shouldn’t be taken for granted.
He said People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Keith Rowley lacked respect for women and had made remarks about the PM concerning “dogs and animals.”
“How can a leader speak like that? That sort of attitude would make the society degenerate,” he said.
“He has no plan to save the economy...Forget the hype and gripes of the PNM, they feel they can fool people with propaganda but we’re more experienced than that. The PP will not return the PNM’s property tax.”
National Joint Action Committee’s Kwesi Mutema warned PP members not to be overconfident and to triple their efforts and bring out every vote.
Nicholas pledged to keep Maraval’s health centre open 24 hours a day. He outlined what he’d done for the area so far, claiming incumbent MP Colm Imbert had not told the truth about a primary school in the area and that the primary school would be opened on September 8. He also said Imbert had said spring water in Paramin wasn’t safe, but this had been tested by Water Resources technicians and was found to be drinkable.