‘Prepare to take over the Government’

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday claimed yesterday that during the six years the United National Congress (UNC) held office, 32 secondary schools were built, yet during the 29 months the PNM has been in power they spent over $50 billion and “have nothing to show for it.” “The PNM is a non performing Government who stole an election by thuggery and now they are ruling with thuggery,” Panday declared in his feature address at the party’s National Assembly at Rienzi Complex, Couva, yesterday.

The UNC political leader said the ruling PNM had been, “mismanaging the country to the extent that they would not last long in office. We must be ready and prepared to take over the Government at short notice,” he told his supporters. “It is only a matter of time before the PNM collapses,” he said, “then we will take over and carry the country forward as we did when we held office.” Panday was very critical of House Speaker Barry Sinanan and Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal. He claimed they had been placed in those positions to protect the PNM and were not ruling with a sense of impartiality. He declared: “They are protection officers, not presiding officers.” He said the UNC had “taken some hard blows from the PNM but we are walking stronger.”

He said the party was placing more emphasis on the legal front and in research, education, administration. He said there were plans for a newspaper, proper financial management, a public relations department and to strengthen the party’s overseas support. “We will once more walk into the corridors of power,” he predicted. “Just remember that we are the only single party that defeated the PNM in a General Election and we are capable of doing it again.”