Govts need to serve a full term

THE EDITOR: A few months ago I sent a letter to your newspaper where I emphasised the importance of having set or pre determined dates for General Elections all in keeping with Vision 2020. “Thief in the night” election is a feature of under-developed banana republics. We all know that in America, a developed country, the next election is constitutionally due in 2008. Hillary Clinton is already a front-runner. Lo and behold! Our Prime Minister at a meeting of the PNM’s six central constituencies at the Chaguanas Junior Secondary School said recently and I quote, “The PNM has already been put on an election footing . . . it is likely to come like a thief in the night.”

Leaders of political parties must understand that they are elected for five years which is considered a full term in office, not three years or three and a half. Come to think of it the last time a government remained in power for a full term was the NAR (1986-1991). Let us look at the present term of the Manning administration. There are many things that are in the embryonic stage of development: Housing, new thrusts in education, corruption charges on both sides of the House, National Security initiatives, health care fiasco and everything else under the sun. How can a government even entertain the thought of having an election before it is constitutionally due under these circumstances? Come on Mr Manning, start thinking as a developed statesman of Vision 2020 and stop the talk about “thief in the night” election.

ORIO NGUMA
Fyzabad