Tinidad and Tobago’s opposition party, the United National Congress (UNC), officially launched its general election campaign on March 24 at Naparima College in San Fernando, with party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivering a fiery address to supporters.
The campaign launch follows Prime Minister Stuart Young’s announcement that the general election will take place on April 28.
Addressing a packed audience, Persad-Bissessar framed the upcoming election as a battle between the privileged elite and the common man, positioning herself as a leader who understands the struggles of everyday citizens.
“You can’t fake real, and you can’t fake love,” she declared, drawing a contrast between herself and Prime Minister Young, whom she described as a leader who was “selected, not elected.” She emphasized that her leadership was earned through electoral victories, not appointments.
The UNC leader introduced several of the party’s candidates, including Saddam Hosein (Barataria/San Juan), Vandana Mohit (Chaguanas East), and Wayne Sturge (Toco/Sangre Grande). She highlighted key policy promises, such as reducing taxes on retirement benefits, tackling noise pollution, and eliminating property tax. Additionally, she pledged to establish a National Commission on the Banking and Financial Sector to ensure fair financial practices and better distribution of foreign exchange.
Persad-Bissessar criticized the government’s handling of national issues, including rising costs of living, infrastructure challenges, and the Paria diving tragedy. She vowed that a UNC administration would compensate the families of the deceased divers if the current government fails to do so before the election.
She also took aim at the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) campaign slogan, ‘All In,’ claiming it represented policies that have made life harder for citizens.
“The PNM is all in with high food prices, high fuel costs, property tax, and cutting GATE,” she said. “They are all in against the people.”
In response to Young’s proposal to create a Ministry of Implementation and Efficiency if re-elected, Persad-Bissessar dismissed it as an admission of government failure over the past decade.
“We must not replace the raging bull with the bully,” she warned, rallying supporters to vote for change on April 28.
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