PM: I will not cry if I am not re-elected

THE PRIME Minister said that he will not be shedding any tears if he fails to be re-elected in next month's general election as he has accomplished his goal of completing a number of abandoned projects.

He was delivering the feature address at the opening of the Bagatelle Community Centre.

He said that over the five-year period of the previous People's Partnership administration, and with the five largest budgets in the country's history, the Bagatelle Community Centre remained abandoned as a partially constructed project.

"Today I am particularly happy. I have completed my journey. I am going to the polls on August 10 and if I am not elected I won't cry. Because I have completed the abandoned projects not only in Diego Martin but around the country."

He said the community centre was the last of the projects he wished to complete. He noted another completed project was the Carenage Fishing Complex, which also remained untouched for five years and materials left were deliberately stolen. He said a "fish fry" area was built next to the complex to promote community activity and by the end of this month it should be put into use.

Dr Rowley said the police station in Carenage was another such project that was abandoned for five years and it would have been completed this month if not for the covid19 pandemic. He recalled that the former prime minister said in Parliament that the complex would be built in 2013 but the then agriculture minister visited the site and decided not to proceed which was part of the "indiscipline of the cabal."

"Nobody in the Government I head could countermand a decision I made in Parliament."

Rowley said that TT has been a very difficult period but Government's approach was to do more with less. He said because of this the nearby Diego Martin Sporting Complex was built, the Diego Martin Health Centre was close to completion and, on a national level, the Brian Lara Stadium was completed.

Rowley also spoke with the media after the opening and was asked if the PNM had done any internal polls. He told the reporter: "I'll get you a form so you can join the PNM so you can look at our polls. PNM internal polls are polls for the PNM."

Asked how confident he was about the elections Rowley replied that he had confidence in the people of TT.

"Not everyone will agree with what we have done. But I think that the vast majority of people in this country will acknowledge that we have governed this country in a very difficult period and that we have governed it well and we have made the most with what is available to us. And that we have done so in the interest of the national population."

Asked if he expected the party to significantly improve upon the 2015 election results Rowley said last time the party only got 23 of the 41 seats.

He said the party has made some changes of candidates for this election (a number of incumbent MPs were not selected to return) and this is expected.

"We've got a very interesting and effective mix. We've got experience, we've got some youth, we've got a fair amount of women, we've got a fair amount of young men, and together we provide the country with a body of people with whom the public can place its trust.

"We're not a kindergarten class."