Please run again, Mr PM

THE EDITOR: Unlike the opposition party, which desperately wants him gone, I hope that Keith Rowley, Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West for the past 32 years, does not retire from politics as he has hinted of doing last week.

Why would I wish him on the people of Diego Martin West when he has failed to respond to our desperate needs for jobs, water, pavements and roads that are only superficially paved when an election rolls around? We the people of the constituency want our MP to know that we are not the fools he may take us to be by voting him and his party out of power. We his beleaguered burgesses want to kick him to the curb for what he has done to us for 30 years.

The constituents have been more than patient over the three decades of inept representation. We gave Rowley a pass when he was just an MP with limited powers. We rejoiced when he became the leader of the PNM while in opposition. We were ecstatic when he became the prime minister in 2015, thanks to the voters. At last, we declared, as we partied into the night, that our own MP had made it – Rowley (as he is affectionately known) had become the leader of the entire nation. He now had the power to make Diego Martin the country's showcase. After all, we made him who he is; it was time for him to reciprocate.

So, we waited patiently, for we are an understanding people, as proven by the fact that we kept voting for him for decades. A year passed, two years, and still no jobs from our MP/PM, in whom we pinned all our hopes and dreams. It is now eight years and counting. It is time for us to move on from our long-time MP and the party he represents. However, before he goes, I urge him to please stay for one last election so we can show him our displeasure with what he and the PNM have done to us.

No, we do not want the opposition party either. What we are pinning our hopes on is for a new party to emerge (there are a couple of possibilities) that will make Diego Martin West what it could have been if we had an MP who cared more about the needs of the people rather than what the party wants. Yes, the PNM has a new multimillion-dollar headquarters with rental space for the party to generate revenue, which does not benefit the voters.

Where are Diego Martin's much-touted health benefits promised from the new health centre? Why is it not adequately staffed and equipped so we do not have to go to the general hospital or pay for private care? Why isn't there medicine for the people who must go to private pharmacies to fill their needs? Where are the jobs for the people that would benefit everyone from the resulting crime reduction?

Rowley's administration brags about full employment, but I beg to differ. The unemployment rate in his constituency is staggeringly high, especially among the youth. From my observation, it is upwards of 50 per cent. They are begging for jobs that have yet to materialise under his stewardship. While some people sell produce on the roadside, others resort to begging and stealing.

Since Rowley has failed us for over 30 years, we hope he runs again and asks for our vote.

REX CHOOKOLINGO

rexchook@gmail.com