Roger Alexander laments airport shooting

ROGER Alexander, UNC candidate for Tunapuna in the April 28 general election, roundly condemned the fatal shooting of a man at Piarco International Airport on April 17 who had just landed on a flight.

The retired police senior superintendent was addressing a UNC community meeting at Hillview College, Tunapuna, on April 17, also attended by UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

"Did you know today, as I stand here, a man was shot and killed in the airport this morning? The airport ought to be a sanctuary. It is where our leaders land and our leaders leave.

"But today it was a crime scene."

He condemned those who led the Ministry of National Security, in light of the shooting.

Alexander said, "Under the UNC that cannot happen.

"How can you (government) be thinking and not put proper legislation and policies in place to protect your domestic airport? How? It is the first place where terrorism might want to raise its ugly head.

"But it is exposed. I heard this morning people were running left, right and centre, hiding. And nobody was there to defend our nation.

"At least let the international community see that even if you think of it and you start it, it must be put down immediately."

Seemingly sarcastically, he said, "But again they (the government) have a softer side of dealing with things, so we wait. We wait."

Alexander asked the audiences if any of them had ever applied for a firearm user's licence (FUL).

"How many years now you have been in waiting? About nine? We need to give citizens an opportunity to defend themselves"

He called for proper legislation to combat home invasion.

"How can a man break your security, enter your home and feel he can do you what he wants to?" He said a future UNC government would address that on the very next day after taking office.

Alexander lamented how rampant the extortion of businesses was in Tunapuna, a place he dubbed "the home of persons demanding money for nothing."

"They did not contribute to the opening of your business but they certainly will contribute to the closing of it. Extortion has reared its ugly head all over Tunapuna until some persons have become very silent.

"Under the UNC, you will not see that type of behaviour.

"You will not see persons walking the street with their AR (automatic rifle) exposed (nor) the disappearance of persons."

He said there existed ways to curb gangs and said a UNC government would cut rime considerably. To get a FUL, he promised a new system would be both more timely and more stringent than the present system.

Alexander said crime fighting was not rocket science, if one was "on the ground." Recalling his talks with Persad-Bissessar, he said she had lamented trained officers leaving the Defence Force at age 45.

He said, "All we have to do is take those persons and incorporate them into the border security. They are already trained."

Alexander also wanted a greater role for SRPs.

"I just left (the police service). I could tell you what is working and what is not."

He lamented the inexplicable failure of some cases in the lawcourts.

"Too many times (when) we have thresholds for crime and even when we satisfy those thresholds, there is still an issue in the court. So then some kind of communication has to take place between law enforcement and the court, in order to arrive at a common ground."

Alexander also portrayed a chilling picture of a bloody crime scene, in support of the UNC's campaign pledge to allow easier access to firearms for law-abiding citizens.

"If while you are sitting here the lights go off and you hear, "Lie down on the ground! Lie down on the ground! You hear shots go off. And while you are on the ground you are tasting something – the blood and the marrow of another man's head, because he was just shot in his head next to you. And you are waiting to see if you will be next."

He said such situations arose because some people (citizens) had no rights, while some people (criminals) had all the rights.

"And while you are lying there you are robbed. Some women too, you might be raped in the presence of your husband and your children. What do you do?

"And not one person in here, not one, was given the opportunity to try to have something in his possession to defend their family."

Alexander sought voter support.

"Enough is enough. PNM took ten years out of your life. And they want to take 11, 12, 13, 14, 15!

"Don't take their chain-up. Do not allow them to manipulate your brain. Don't let them feed you with small corn and peas for one day, and (you) believe you could eat for the rest of your life.

"Vote them out! And give people with real ideas, real solutions and real vision (the chance) to lead this good nation."

Mohit praises Children's Life Fund

UNC candidate for Chaguanas East Vandana Mohit said on a recent a walkabout on Rodney Road, Endeavour, she met a father whose daughter's life had been saved by the Children's Life Fund.

"When this gentleman brought out this child, he held her in his arms and he said to me, 'This is the result of Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Doctors flew in. When they couldn't do the job, this child flew out and received the care.'

"I asked how is she doing now? He said, 'As you can see Kamla Persad-Bissessar has her alive and well.' This is the legacy of the UNC"

Devesh Maharaj, UNC candidate for Aranguez/St Joseph, hoped to unclog the law courts via mediation.

"Throughout the world where that is done, huge success! We cannot understand why over the past ten years that has not been done."

He urged the rehabilitation of offenders, to avert recidivism (repeat offending.)

Maharaj, an attorney, lamented a criminal justice system that he described as "spiralling out of control."

He said, "The long wait for trials. Victims are not being properly taken care of. We have a suite of things we are going to do.

"We are going to take care of these victims. We are going to have psychological support. We are going to have monetary compensation for those who cannot deal with it.

"We have you look after our people.

"Those who have suffered - 624 murders. How many victims did we look-after there? How many (got) psychological support? How many (got) grief counselling? None!

"People are being left on their own, unattended."

Maharaj promised trials within the shortest possible time. He vowed a task force to assess the criminal justice landscape in Trinidad and Tobago, including the efficacy of the witness protection programme.

"When you a criminal justice case and a witness who stays there and two years, three years and four years, is he still coming to give evidence?

"While he is being threatened, when he lives in the same neighbourhood (as the criminal)?".

Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj, UNC candidate for Arouca/Lopinot, promised that a UNC government will provide better care for patients with non-communicable diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. She promised more cataract surgeries plus the establishment of a national stroke recovery centre offering specialised treatment to patients.

Chaitan-Maharaj, a medical doctor, said, "I have known mothers and fathers of autistic children who chose to migrate, because they found no help here and no support from this PNM healthcare system."