‘No section 34 scandal with PNM’

THE PNM government has operated with transparency and without scandal according to the Prime Minister who at a campaign meeting on Tuesday evening, called on the public not to forget the confusion surrounding the Section 34 scandal.

Speaking at the virtual meeting recorded from the Barataria community centre, Dr Rowley said unlike the People’s Partnership, there have been no scandals remotely similar to the Section 34 controversy.

He accused the former government of having legislation passed on the night of Independence Day while the public was preoccupied with celebrations and contended that the only issues causing a stir in his Cabinet were Shamfa Cudjoe’s phone bill and the Darryl Smith investigation.

“Tell me when any such thing happened with this government? They want to come back to do just that because they have not changed. They have the gall to put out that they will be building regional courts, the same courts they were supposed to build before Section 34. “We are not like that and the PNM is held to a higher standard and we are proud of that,” he said.

Section 34 was a clause introduced to the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Bill 2011 by former Justice Minister Herbert Volney which allowed a legal mechanism for certain cases before the courts and undetermined for ten years. UNC financiers Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson who were charged for the Piarco International Airport corruption case went to the courts calling for the matters to be dismissed after the legislation was proclaimed.

PARTIES PAY

FOR WALKABOUTS

He later accused political parties of paying people to go on walkabouts to increase their numbers in an attempt to convince potential voters of their popularity.

Rowley claimed certain parties were paying people upwards of $300 to go on walkabouts with them.

He warned the public to be careful who they trust with their votes and called on people to understand the importance for the August 10 general election. “They are paying for walkers, $300 for a walker to go on a walkabout. So to go on a walkabout is a day work. Don’t let anyone buy your votes. How they get into office is how they will govern”

He called on people to come out and exercise their constitutional right by voting.

He said while he would encourage citizens to vote for his party, it is their individual right to choose a party to vote for.

He noted that to refrain from voting would be doing TT a disservice.

NO PROJECTS

FOR ELECTION

Rowley also hit back at critics who accused him of engaging in projects in the run up to the election solely for the purpose of harvesting votes.

The PNM’s campaign meeting on Tuesday came hours after Rowley opened a $90m agro-precessing plant in Moruga which the termed a “gift” for the people of that area – a constituency formerly held by the PNM’s Dr Lovell Francis.

He said the agro-processing plant was his government’s investment in rural communities and then slammed the Opposition for not doing enough to diversify the economy during their term in office.

He claimed his government has done more for farmers and rural communities.

“You would think that government which came out of the agricultural sector, you would have thought those MPs would have done something they could point to say, ‘that is what we have done to give agriculture a chance to do more in the economy.’

“You will hear them say that we just did that for votes but this didn’t happen yesterday or the day before. It took two years to plan, to find the land and to organise,” Rowley said. Also speaking at the campaign meeting were San Juan/Barataria candidate Jason Williams and Joseph candidate Terrence Deyalsingh.