Daaga: Media unfair to PM

Political leader of the National Joint Action Committee Makandal Daaga says the media in Trinidad and Tobago are being unfair to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He said this at a news conference hosted by the five leaders of the member units of the People’s Partnership Government at the Parliament, Waterfront Complex, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. It was called to report on the outcome of a three-hour meeting of the leaders at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s on Thursday evening. Political leader of the Congress of the People Prakash Ramadhar had publicly called for the meeting since last December. Persad-Bissessar joked that the meeting would have been held earlier if Ramadhar had not requested it. The Prime Minister said the “leaders committed to the continued success of the partnership and the Government on the basis of the Fyzabad Accord.” The Fyzabad Accord was the agreement for the formation of the People’s Partnership.

 

Persad-Bissessar said the leaders “agreed to the holding of regular meetings in order to fully discuss the items tabled.” She said the leaders further agreed to address: the functioning and structuring of the partnership, the rules of engagement by each party in the partnership; and n the need to strengthen good governance with respect to participatory democracy and the need for a new public procurement regime. The PM said the leaders “also expressed a commitment to the principle of equality of all citizens, regardless of race, religion or geographic location.” Leader of the Tobago Organisation for the People Ashworth Jack echoed the PM’s comments, saying the leaders had recommitted themselves to the PP Government. Ramadhar, in his comments, said: “It is necessary for the population to understand that we are together stronger than ever.” He also thanked the Prime Minister for her leadership of the 21-month-old PP Government. New political leader of the Movement for Social Justice, David Abdulah said the issues raised “reflected that deep-seated commitment to both the partnership and more importantly to the country.”

 

Daaga said the PP Government was “here to stay for quite a long time...There is no alternative, absolutely none.”  He said he was serious about his claim that the T&T media were unfair in their treatment of Persad-Bissessar. He said the media should be more analytical of the PM. In attempting to explain one incident of unfair treatment, Daaga said the media did not seek to analyse a recent presentation of the PM. “You just looking to see where you could pick out something that would embarrass her...That’s all you do,” he said. PM shouted: “That’s his opinion.” But Daaga continued: “I stand firm on that.” He insisted the Prime Minister had not been given the deserved credit for initiatives taken.

Persad-Bissessar expressed surprise when Daaga first said the media were being unfair to her. “Oh really? I am not aware of that,” she said.