Lee Sing: Nobody funding PPM

FOUNDER of the Port of Spain People’s Movement (PPM) Louis Lee Sing says his party was put out of a meeting venue by the PNM

At a meeting this week at the Mango Rose apartments car park in Port of Spain, the party was told it required permission from the manager and the Community Development Ministry, and had to leave.

He said when the manager said that applied to all political parties, he recognised an agent of the PNM.

Instead, Lee Sing said, the party set up outside the gate of the homework centre and a had a “most successful” meeting.

It was scheduled to hold a meeting at Desperlie Crescent, Laventille, on last night.

Lee Sing says his party is being self-funded.

“Contrary to the stupidity of some of those in that 60-year-old monolithic party (the PNM), nobody is funding the party.”

He said the party has been very meticulous with its expenditure.

“We certainly welcome every burgess who will vote with us to give us $100. Then we can run a campaign where every three minutes, you put an ad on all radio and TV stations.”

Lee Sing, in a phone interviewon yesterday, said he would really like to see the report on some of the campaigning done by the party’s main competitor in Port of Spain when the election is over.

“How is it possible to spend millions on a local government election campaign that has no focus on local government? I want to believe they are campaigning for the general election. which will perhaps come early next year. They hope if they do well in this election they will be able to roll into the next election.”

Lee Sing, a former Port of Spain mayor and longtime PNM member, launched his party early last month. The PPM has selected its 12 candidates to contest the Port of Spain district.

Asked why he was not one of the 12 candidates, he responded that he has to campaign for all 12 candidates.

“I could not spend time treating with one district. I am literally driving the 12 districts, because we have a number of inexperienced people, and a number of people, by reason of their own experience and expertise, would require support.

“And that having been established, I elected not to seek a district on my own behalf.”

He reported the PPM candidates have been out in the field to meet voters and convince them one by one “why we are how we are, and why they must vote for change.”

He said it has been an uphill task for the party, particularly, especially because it is a new party fighting the first available election.

“We could have done like other people and sit this one out. But that would have been wrong and a bad decision for an organisation such as ours.

“We will continue to fight. We will continue to follow our strategies, with the limited resources that are available to us, and sincerely hope at the end of the day we see light at the end of the tunnel.”

He said that since 1959 the PNM has been talking local government reform, but there has been no reform, even as the country was going into local government elections on December 2.

“They can run, but they cannot hide on this issue. They have been a miserable and abysmal failure.”

Lee Sing said by contrast, it was Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar who, while prime minister, introduced proportional representation for aldermen, and councillors having office space.

“Before that councillors worked out of their trunks and briefbags.”

He said the PNM has only paid lip service to local government reform.