Manning welcomes returning UNC members

Underscoring the need for improved race relations between the nation’s two major ethnic groups, Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, has exhorted traditional supporters of the ruling party to welcome returning members of the Opposition UNC with open arms. He was addressing a mass political meeting at Centre City Mall, Chaguanas on Friday evening where the ruling party presented its slate of candidates for both the Chaguanas Borough Corporation and the Couva/ Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Cor-porations in the July 14th Local Government Elections. Manning, who stated that “inter-racial solidarity” was one of the founding principles of the PNM said the present crop of candidates were the “most reflective of the national community.” And he advised supporters that the days of “partisan” politics were over. He said inappropriate racial jokes and slurs had the effect of driving perspective members away from the PNM. “I can tell you that it will pose some problems in the PNM, there is a tendency for people to talk loosely about race, and some of the things that some people use as joke when heard by others has a devastating effect on those who hear them,” he said. “And so I want to exhort all PNM members, especially those of African extraction that the days of loose talk about race is behind us.” Manning added: “We are determined to do things at the level of the Central Government to ensure that our policy positions as adopted by the PNM are devoid of bias, and are policy positions that will have the effect of treating all citizens equally.”