Kamla rubbishes PM’s WASA claims

UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar   PHOTO COURTESY KEVAN GIBBS -
UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar PHOTO COURTESY KEVAN GIBBS -

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has rubbished claims by the Prime Minister that the United National Congress (UNC) is interfering with the water supply to influence votes in certain parts of the country.

“Total rubbish,” she said to his accusation that people in WASA were carrying out the UNC’s instructions and turning off the water.

Some UNC candidates in the East have been providing truck-borne supply of water to constituents affected by the shortage.

After filing his nomination papers on Friday, Rowley said, “I can tell you now that in Tunapuna, St Joseph and Barataria/San Juan there are people in WASA who have been interfering with the water supply and the rationing, (to) create hardship for some people in the hope that those people would be angry with the Government,” Rowley said.

Speaking on Saturday night during a virtual presentation of the UNC’s 39 candidates, Persad Bissessar said Rowley had no solution to the water distribution problem so he is once again blaming her.

“How UNC people going into WASA to sabotage WASA? Don’t you have supervisors, workers, different people?”

“He has to be delusional. He cannot deliver the water so he blames workers. He has done nothing to fix the problem affecting water distribution so he has to find someone to blame again. Blame Kamla, blame the UNC.

“WASA has thousands of workers, I did not know the UNC has so much support in that one place. Maybe it is a sign of things to come, that on August 10, the yellow is going to sweep all of TT.”

UNC candidate for La Horquetta/Talparo Jearlean John said she sent water to the village of Brazil in response to the cries of people, including two senior citizens who developed arthritis from bathing in cold rain water collected in barrels.

She said her fellow candidates, Alloy Hunt in St Joseph and David Nakid in Tunapuna, also assisted constituents with truck-borne supply.

“I cannot understand this man’s (Rowley) wild allegations that the UNC is turning off the water in communities such as Barataria, St Joseph, Tunapuna in order to make the voters in the constituency angry against the Government.

“No citizen of this country should be going four and six months without a pipe borne supply when they are paying their water bills. Why no one is concerned about that?”

She accused the PNM of trying to influence the votes with water, “because when the PNM turn on the water for two hours you are grateful. When they give you a little crumbs, you kneel down and worship them as though they are Christ.”

John said there was neglect in the constituency with 90 per cent of youths in the PNM stronghold of La Horquetta, unemployed.

She said the UNC has given hope to youths from Phase 4 and 7 who were previously stereotyped and cast aside as being lazy and indisciplined, but are now involved in planting and marketing crops.

“People are stereotyped into hopelessness. All it took was for somebody to listen, to set the boundaries of discipline for them to go as far as their ambition and ability will go,” John said.

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"Kamla rubbishes PM’s WASA claims"

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