MSJ dismisses PM’s good approval rating

Political Leader of the Movement for Social Justice David Abdullah, PHOTO BY VASHTI SINGH
Political Leader of the Movement for Social Justice David Abdullah, PHOTO BY VASHTI SINGH

The Prime Minister’s relatively good approval rating does not mean that the ruling PNM administration will win either the local government or general elections.

MSJ political leader David Abdulah said yesterday as he commented on a poll published in a daily newspaper which stated with Local Government election scheduled to take place within the next few months and the General Election next year, the majority of the population approved of his performance.

According to the poll, the Prime Minister’s approval rating stands at 50 per cent.

Asked whether his approval rating would translate into electoral victories at the poll, Abdulah said, “well interestingly, according to this poll, Mrs Persad-Bissessar’s approval rating at the end of year 4 was 48 per cent and at the end of year five, it was 54 per cent but the partnership lost the elections.

“So the individual’s approval rating dies not necessarily determine the outcome of an election, a poll is what it is, a snap shot at a point in time of particular questions so we cannot predict now who will win or lose elections.”

He said the MSJ was focusing on challenging the two-party system and offering the electorate an alternative to both parties.

“We are here as a political party and MSJ is challenging the UNC and the PNM because both of them has failed to deal with the problems that people have –the cost of living crisis, jobs, sustainable employment, decent pay for people.

“The issue of crime and corruption, infrastructure both of them have failed and we are offering ourselves as an alternative to those parties because we feel that the ideas that we have and the policies that we have can bring about real change and fundamentally address the problems that people are experiencing in their everyday lives,”

Abdulah said the poll’s headline should not read “Rowley rules” but rather “Rowley rules but the country loses” and cited data from the poll which stated that while 56 per cent of the population believed crime was a crisis, another 38 per cent believed that it was major problem.’

He said that translated into a whopping 94 per cent of the population believed that crime is a major problem in TT.

“What we are hearing on the ground is that people are disappointed, people are fed up of both major parties, people are disappointed in Dr Rowley in the PNM, that things they expected to change in terms of a better life, this has not happened, the resources are not flowing down to the ground and people are struggling to survive.”

He said an MSJ government would address all of the issues head on and cited the agricultural sector saying young people would be encouraged to forms themselves into co-operatives and build the industry.

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