Panday campaign starts after August 10

THE Patriotic Front (PF) will start its campaign for meaningful change in TT after the dust settles from the August 10 general election.

PF political leader Mickela Panday made this disclosure on Tuesday, exactly a week after announcing that the fledgling party won’t be contesting any of the 41 seats in the election.

Instead, she told Newsday, "Our campaign will begin after the election."

Panday explained the PF took this decision "as it is not possible to do any social work during what is called silly season."

While the PF is not contesting the election, Panday made it clear her party is not supporting any other person or party facing the polls on August 10.

On June 25, at a news conference at the party’s office in Chaguanas, Panday announced the PF would contest all 41 seats. She also announced her father, former prime minister Basdeo Panday, would be the party's campaign manager.

But on July 14, Mickela said the Prime Minister’s sudden announcement of the election date on July 3 made it impossible for the party to run the kind of campaign it wanted to.

The PF, she stressed, “was not born merely to fight elections, it was born to restructure the society.”

She said the party remains committed to bringing new politics to TT which does not tell lies, malign or mudsling. Panday said the PF would never say things to curry political favour, gain political power or make empty promises to the electorate.

Mickela had no problem with her father's former political ally Jack Warner contestig the election.

"In a democratic society, people are entitled to contest any election if they so wish."

Warner is the ILP's lone candidate, contesting the Lopinot/ Bon Air West constituency.