Panday: CEPEP is the ‘blue army’ working for Local elections

Opposition leader, Basdeo Panday accused the PNM goverment of using CEPEP as a tool for the Local Government elections. “The people you see in the blue outfits, working along the roadside are part of the government’s army campaigning for the Local Government elections. The government is openly using taxpayers’ money to campaign for the elections,” he said. He was at the time addressing a huge crowd of people who turned up at the political meeting in heart of Princes Town on Thursday evening. Panday urged the people of the deep south to unite together and fight for their rights as citizens of the country. MP for Siparia, Kamla Persad-Bissessar called on the DPP, Geoffrey Henderson, to launch a forensic investigation on the WASA/Water Farm investigations where $40 million went missing. She noted that the office of the DPP is one of impartiality and she urged the DPP to be a man and get to the root of this investigation.

Bissessar, who is no stranger to the political stage in Princes Town, said the only accomplishment the Education Minister had since gaining office is the institution of CEPEP where the students are taught the subjects of bamboo bending, pebble arrangements and wheel barrow tra,nsport. Chairman of the UNC, Wade Mark also touched on the topic of the WASA investigation saying that Canadian forensic investigator, Bob Linquist, gave a documented report instead of a forensic report to the Attorney General. “He is a hired mercenary and he delivered a documented report and not a forensic report as stated by Glenda Morean,” he said. Mark  lashed out against the PNM saying the government has already spent $18 billion and all they had to show for it was the establishment of CEPEP. He also accused the PNM of using rogue tactics to win the last elections. He noted also that the PNM gave lights and water to the squatters on the trainline mere hours before the last General election and this was why Sadiq Baksh lost the San Fernando seat. The candidates who will be contesting the local government elections in Princes Town include: Winston Chindra- Corinth/Cedar Hill, Clifton De Couteau — Lothians/Inverness, Lochan Dass — Ben Lo-mand/Williamsville, Nancoo Ali — Hindustan/Indian Walk, Bhim Singh — Moruga, Toolsie Maharaj — New Grant and Deonarine Raghu — Reform.