Kamla: No-confidence motion in govt coming

Despite the United National Congress’ (UNC) November 26 internal election being less than three days away, incumbent political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar spent little time focusing on her opponent for the post of political leader and instead trained her guns on the ruling PNM administration, “the real enemy,” saying a motion of no-confidence would be filed against the Dr Keith Rowley-led Government.

Cumuto/Manzanilla MP, Christine Newallo-Hosein is also contesting the position of political leader.

And while Persad-Bissessar did not outline the reasons behind the no-confidence motion, she, however, drew similarities to the events which led to the May 2010 snap general election which included her electoral victory in the UNC’s January 2010 internal election and a motion of no-confidence in then Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

She was addressing a cottage meeting at Calcutta #2 Recreation Ground pavilion on Tuesday night.

“In 2010, I said let me be the magnet that brings everybody together because when we are united we win, when we are divided we lose. In 2010, I came to the membership of our party, I asked for that vote and, at that time, there was no election in sight,” she recalled

“At that time, I had filed in the Parliament a motion of no-confidence against prime minister Patrick Manning and the day before we were to debate that motion in the Parliament, I was in my office and we were listening to the radio and we heard prime minister Manning had dissolved the Parliament and called an election.

“And that is why I say we have to come together to remove a totally incompetent government, but I will say this tonight…while the Manning government was bad, they were like saints compared to this PNM Government.”

Persad-Bissessar added, “The vote on Sunday is not only about the party elections, it is also about sending a message to the PNM government, we coming for you next.”

The party’s membership has grown from 35,000 members in 2010 to 105,000 in 2017.