Attorney launches new party

ATTORNEY Kenneth Munroe-Brown launched a new political party on Old Year’s Day, the Unrepresented People’s Party, he told Newsday yesterday.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has approved the name, he said, and its symbol of three horizontal and golden oil/gas pipes.

Munroe-Browne explained why he had launched the party.

“I returned from London in 1994 after ten years, and every day my heart bleeds to see the degradation, poverty and ineptness in our society. I’ve come to believe that evil prospers when good men do nothing.

“If TT is to be a better place, all of us need to get involved. We must roll up our sleeves and get involved in politics.”

Lamenting last year’s 500-plus murder figure, Munroe-Brown said, “It can’t be that this is okay.”

He said his party has a plan to curb crime, by officially outlawing crime and corruption and tackling youth disaffection.

“We have a major problem with youth who are out of control.”

Lamenting youngsters who sport guns, gold chains and pants below their waists, Munroe-Brown proposed a solution by way of a mandatory programme of national service.

“The youth will have to spend three to four years learning how to love their country. They’ll learn to march and be trained. Those who want to go to university can do so. Idleness will not be tolerated. You can’t lime on the block.”

Munroe-Brown said adults could benefit from a programme of national re-training, including learning parenting skills and social skills.

Vowing to curb gangs, he quipped, “There will be one gang, the National Service Gang. We are taking back our youth, and showing them how to behave.”

Reparations and affirmative action are also on the party’s agenda, he said.

His party was prepared to work with other parties, he said, and at its launch the party had saluted former prime ministers Basdeo Panday and the late Patrick Manning. While his executive must decide, he did not support the idea of contesting the 2019 local government elections but focusing on the 2020 general election.

He said he had returned to legal practice since August, having successfully appealed a suspension in 2009 to the Law Association.

“I’m back.”

He named his party executive as Pentecostal Bishop Ronald De Verteuil (chairman), Simone Grant (secretary), Penny Rambarran (deputy leader), Nazamoo Hosein (party organiser) and Herman Villarouel (vice chairman), amongst others.