In touch with the public…or

Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s convoy of black vehicles had just made its way up Abercromby Street around 1.20 pm on Wednesday, horns a-honking and headlights on.

If Manning had fancied turning his window down some to share the blistering heat with the rest of the nation (or for some reason his BMW’s air-con had stalled), he might have heard the distant echo of some of the voices in Woodford Square opposite, “debating” Indo-Trinidadians’ presence in T&T.

As passers-by negotiated around them, a particularly vitriolic chap in a blue shirt was making it known to all, sundry and everything within a 200-mile radius that there shouldn’t be any.

More moderately toned (or possibly just drowned out by the energy his opponent was exuding on the issue) was an opposing view.

Watching them from a table near the square’s fountain was a couple of Indo- and Afro-Trinidadian descent, with a Caucasian woman. All silent.

Manning, passing by on Abercromby Street, was en route to a Parliament finance committee meeting.

He was blissfully unaware of the race “debate” in the square, cocooned as he was (in his Bimmer) by his security detail (all three vehicles full of them) and his (ubiquitous) sunglasses.

If Tuesday’s Indian Arrival Day message from President George Maxwell Richards held a certain imploring note to the Indo-Trinidadian community, some “professors” of the “University of Woodford Square”—PNM’s traditional election launchpad—were not inclined to agree on Wednesday.

Richards had echoed sentiments articulated twice by former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday as far back as Divali Nagar celebrations in 2002 and 2005.

And while Richards may be just as insulated from the public as Manning in terms of security and vehicles, the President was still sensitive to sentiments which might have crossed the mind of any citizen, let alone those of East Indian descent, in the last four years.

Manning’s nine-paragraph Arrival Day address by contrast, devoid of any such explicit position, was limited to promoting a “reaching out to all.”

He may have an opportunity do some aspect of this tomorrow when he speaks at PNM’s 50th anniversary family day at Macoya.

No election dates are expected. But more hints appeared to be in the air this week.

A belated Indian Arrival Day “gift” of sorts came in the form of yesterday’s announcement of upcoming changes in the name of the Trinity Cross.

On Thursday, National Security Minister Martin Joseph invited business groups for talks, a year after their last meeting and after repeated requests from the groups for discussions with him.

Businessmen said Joseph was particularly “open and understanding” about the community’s problems concerning crime. That day also came news from the ministry of a drop in kidnappings for ransom.

That development hardly negates the issue of rising crime since another type recently morphed out of nowhere: the so-called “express kidnappings” in which abductees are taken to ATMs and forced to withdraw cash.

Crime will still form a major part of the PNM’s challenge and the general election debate, no matter how confident the party is about results. Or how much of a lull in certain crimes ensues in the run-up period to the polls.

If PM Manning’s efforts at “reaching out” have so far been limited to party events, guest appearances and Parliament statements, the PNM’s current cottage meetings with party faithful are expected to fill in the blanks left by that leadership approach.

Meetings are being held at the rate of 41 a week—in all constituencies.

Closed sessions give constituents a chance to interact, ask questions, criticise, “cuss” or make suggestions to MPs, said PNM acting chairman John Donaldson on Monday.

When elections are called, the usual public meetings will be held, he added.

Several PNM MPs said on Wednesday that the issues of greatest concern in meetings so far are crime and rising food prices.

In San Juan/Barataria on Tuesday, for example, Minister Joseph came in for stern criticism on the crime situation by PNMites at that meeting.

PNM’s 21 co-ordinators in various seats and its 20 MPs are also increasing one-on-one work with constituents. Also, organising “whizzes” such as Joan Yuille-Williams have been placed in contentious seats like St Joseph where PNM’s executive was split.

The party believes the seat is winnable. Just how true that is and how much PNM is in touch with the St Joseph “ground” will be clearer at election time.

While the PNM may chortle at the Opposition’s continued bickering, other election issues apart from crime handling—such as integrity and alleged corruption—may see the Government and Opposition running somewhat closely.

In that regard, though, the UNC already has the conviction of Panday to contend with, as well as charges against other former UNC officials and ministers.

The PNM is monitoring court proceedings against former Ministers Eric Williams and Franklin Khan and awaiting the outcome of Integrity Commission investigations against Minister Keith Rowley and John Rahael.

In an ironic twist, both the former UNC and PNM ministers were all in the Port-of-Spain Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for their respective proceedings.

PNM sources said the favourite so far to succeed Khan in Ortoire-Mayaro is Clifford Campbell, nephew of deceased PNM MP Victor Campbell. Local Government Minister Rennie Dumas is co-ordinating the seat.

Campbell is regional manager of the PNM’s Area One in the seat, a district from Mafeking to Guayaguayare. He was among PNM nominees in that seat in the 2000 elections, but was pipped by Khan.

The Opposition, meanwhile, may be gambling on how much it is in touch with members, in its acceptance of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj back into the fold.

Swiftly after he returned, Maharaj was given the impressive task of formulating an action plan for the party.

UNC executive officials who believe Maharaj will appeal to the membership’s preference for strong leadership, feel that harnessing his considerable energy in organisational tasks will benefit the party.

How much this will be affected by lingering concerns about Maharaj—and whether he will reach the public and be accepted as truly sincere—is left to be seen.

Almost as much as Maharaj has to, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is also yet to demonstrate whether she is cut from the same bolt of cloth (beyond gold-gilded sari silk) as her legendary predecessor in terms of rapport with the public.

Persad-Bissessar blanked last Saturday’s Couva South forum where Maharaj spoke, pleading a prior engagement and making no effort to change for her colleagues’ gathering.

The Dookeran camp, loud in its criticism of the rest of the UNC, has been extremely light-handed where the Siparia MP is concerned, obviously leaving the door open to her.

Still to be measured also is how much of a connection UNC leader Winston Dookeran has so far cultivated with the public via his schedule of walkabouts, cottage meetings, selected public appearances and limited interaction with the media.

Dookeran shelved meetings this week, not because of the UNC executive’s complaint about this, according to his office.

Possibly his reply to the executive’s concerns might be read in the fact that he’s now changed his meeting dates to Monday nights, starting next week with Tunapuna—the same night the UNC resumes its Monday night forum at Plum Mitan, Manzanilla.

Dookeran’s spokesman on Thursday said he didn’t have any meetings last week.

“Mainly due to the Indian Arrival Day holiday, he had a rough week of speaking engagements,” they added.