PNM launches 2007 campaign

THE RULING People’s National Movement (PNM) yesterday announced the launching of the party’s election campaign in preparation for the local government elections next year and General Elections in 2007. The announcement was revealed by PNM party chairman Franklin Khan at yesterday’s PNM monthly General Council meeting held at the San Fernando East constituency office. The decision to launch the campaign, Khan explained, came after having reached the midway point in the five-year-election term. “We have turned the corner and we are going to have a blitz as it were of service-oriented projects as we try to deal in a very focused way on the basic community needs of the various communities in TT,” Khan revealed. He added that the best way to achieve the party’s objective was “to put the party in an election frame of mind. That is when the party operates best,” the party chairman said.

Khan said that in making the announcement to the General Council Prime Minister Patrick Manning sounded the call to the party members and his Members of Parliament.  “Councillors and Members of Parliament will have to re-energise themselves. They will have to hit the road and be more visible and have to focus particularly on service to people and service of communities... The political leader has been very clear that the PNM sees itself as party of service. It is not about personal aggrandisement. And service-oriented people will find favour with the leadership when it comes to the choice of candidate both at the local and general elections,” the party chairman said. 

Only two months ago, the PNM inducted at a gala ceremony over 200 members from the San Fernando East constituency, of which Manning is the Member of Parliament, in which each new member was individually welcomed into the party. Agreeing that it may be ideal to have continuous activity throughout the five-year election term, Khan said: “The difference here was that we are not coming some six months before the elections. But about two years and six months.” The party chairman assured that more details of the campaign were forthcoming but citizens could expect to see many projects being undertaken in the coming months.