Rowley forging new society

THE EDITOR: The People’s National Movement, as a political institution since its establishment in 1956, has always championed its cause on the platform of its philosophical principle of integrity and morality in public affairs. However, under the watch of its previous political leaders, its moral compass had been mislaid. Subsumed in corruption, the party subsequently fell into disrepute and became the target of public mistrust and ridicule.

As a consequence, it lost the general elections held in 1986, 1995 and 2010. However, at the height of its unpopularity in 2010, in order to curtail any further loss of public confidence with eventual defeat pending at the polls, the member of Parliament for Diego Martin West, Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, to his credit, single-handedly denounced the lip service his government was paying to its party’s philosophical principle of integrity and morality in public affairs, and at the risk of his own political demise, one can recall he attempted to rescue the party from the jaws of corruption.

Instead, for his gallantry, he himself was denounced and ostracised. However, the true nationalist leader that he is, placing country before party, he continued relentlessly and fearlessly, as only a Keith Rowley can do, to stand up on the side of all the people of TT. Incidentally, this is why the party is called the People’s National Movement.

Moreover, in championing the cause, he passionately explained to its membership that his intention was not to destroy the party, but merely to break the mould, as it were, then proceed to perform the arduous task of reshaping it once again into an attractive political force to be reckoned with on the national landscape, before presenting it afresh to a disillusioned electorate. Against all odds, and with the help of others this noble objective was accomplished.

Furthermore, during his tenure as opposition leader during the period 2010-2015, the electorate’s frustration with corruption was further exacerbated, as under the new regime of the Kamla Persad-Bissessar led People’s Partnership administration, the standards of decency and accountability in public affairs suffered a further decline.

Its continued erosion from the Patrick Manning administration to the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration, caused Dr Rowley to reiterate and reaffirm his commitment and pledge for a return to integrity and morality in public affairs; that it was high time that perpetrators of white collar crimes in TT be brought to justice, and redress be obtained; incidentally this is what we are witnessing in our country today towards the making of a new society as so eloquently enunciated by Dr Rowley himself and who is well known for sobriety in the exercise of his public duties as Prime Minister.

Therefore, as it stands now, the Rowley administration should be saluted and supported in its continued declaration of war against the scourge and evil of white collar crime; for the restoration of integrity and morality in public affairs in our beloved country.

RISHI LAKHAN

via email

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"Rowley forging new society"

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