PRIME Minister and political leader of the People's National Movement (PNM) Patrick Manning, is calling on the leadership of the Congress of the People (COP) to declare their position on the casino industry in Trinidad and Tobago.
Saying that it was not a matter for him, the COP's source of funding for its election campaign, Manning said it was well known that "whoever pays the piper tends to call the tune."
Manning was speaking at the opening of a PNM area office at Orchid Gardens in Pleasantville - the fifth of seven such offices to be opened in his San Fernando East Constituency.
Wading into the COP, Manning said he remembered a time when only black and white advertisements appeared in the newspapers in a sporadic manner.
"All of a sudden its full colour full-page ads amounting to three on any particular day," Manning said.
"One of them costs $10,000 per ad. They have been advertising in the newspapers alone at a cost of $70,000 per day. Obviously somebody has come into a lot of money. I don't know who their financiers are."
Manning referred to his meeting with casino workers on Friday at Whitehall in which it was agreed that there would be a five-year grace period for them to prepare for the closing down of the industry, Manning said the COP should let the people of Trinidad and Tobago know where they stand on the issue.
COP leader Winston Dookeran could not be reached yesterday.
But former COP communications officer and aspiring Chaguanas East contender, Nirad Tiwarie referred to a statement by the party on September 2 which formed part of its response to the budget presentation by Manning.
Tiwarie said that statement outlined the party's position on the casino industry.
It said "Rather than closing down the gaming industry, a Congress of the People government will open it up with enforceable regulations that will respect standards and values in our society and eliminate illicit activities like money laundering and other transactions inimical to the economic interest of the country.
"A COP government will build a modern and diverse economy to engage our youthful population in jobs."
Manning also hit out at UNC Alliance chairman and political leader Basdeo Panday.
"I noticed in the newspapers recently that the financiers of a certain political party are talking to the leader to tell him step down. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
"Imagine the financiers of the party, not the members, deciding that its time for the leader to step down. You think anything like that could happen in the PNM?
"People have come to me before in previous elections and in one case I was told that once I pick so and so as a candidate a million dollars will be given to the party.
Well at that time my language was a little worse than it is today and I treated them appropriately."
Boasting that the PNM in its 51-year history had successfully resisted attempts by some to dictate the directions and policies of the party, Manning said the ruling party has had established methods of raising money.
"There are some people who believe that politics has its own morality so it is all well and good to take money from people and make commitments for this and that. The PNM does no such thing. If you support the PNM, you support the PNM because you are interested in the good governance of Trinidad and Tobago," he said. |
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