Local elections July 14

Prime Minister Patrick Manning put in a special appearance in the Senate yesterday to announce Monday July 14 as the date for Local Government Election.

The date is just seven days shy of the July 21st constitutional deadline for the holding of the poll. The Prime Minister has barely  given the Elections and Boundaries Commission the necessary five weeks period to prepare for the elections. PNM has completed its screening exercise and candidates are already out in the field canvassing voters.

In a statement to the Senate Manning however concentrated on  Caricom matters, saying that one of the considerations for the date of the election was the fact that he would be out of the country during the period June 28 to July 6 to attend the Head of Government conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Manning in pointing out that it was the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas — which established the Caribbean Community — said among those attending would be the President of South Africa and Chairman of the African Union, Thabo Mbeki who would be making a statement at the opening ceremony.

Manning said the conference was taking place at a very important juncture, not only in the history of the Community, but also in global affairs. At the meeting, progress in the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) would be considered.  Manning noted that Trinidad and Tobago had committed itself to be CSME (Caricom Single Market and Economy) ready in one year and had already decided to establish a CSME Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to expedite the process. Manning added that particular attention would be paid to the free movement of persons and the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) at the meeting. The inauguration of the CCJ is expected to take place in Port-of-Spain in November 2003, he said.

At the conference Caricom Prime Minister and other leaders would also be updated with progress reports on assistance provided to Dominica, establishment of the Regional Stabilisation Fund and the Regional Economic Trade Support Programme, to the sum of TT $100 million, which would become operational in July 2003, the Prime Minister said. This programme seeks to increase Caricom Member States’ production and trade capacity, aims at redressing the current intra-regional imbalance of merchandise trade in favour of Trinidad and Tobago and would try to alleviate the impact of the downward slide that most countries have experienced in the last few years.