Opposition leader prepping pre-action letter for PM over Local Gov’t elections

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Opposition leader prepping pre-action letter for PM over Local Gov’t elections

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is set to send a pre-action protocol letter to the Prime Minister, demanding that Dr Keith Rowley call Local Government elections now.

He must also explain how councillors’ positions following the recent Privy Council judgment.

Speaking during the UNC Monday Night Report at Naparima College, San Fernando, Persad-Bissessar revealed that lawyers for the party have already begun drafting this letter.

She told party supporters, that the UNC must win San Fernando in the Local Government elections, and it will put gated communities there. She added that the next UNC government will also root gangs out of San Fernando and T&T.

Persad-Bissessar hailed the Privy Council judgment which ruled Government’s extension of the LG term was unlawful.
But, she said despite the judgment, Rowley was in Tobago and “Faris nowhere to be found—he hiding!”

She added, “I’ve had to write the Prime Minister. Our lawyers are helping me now to draft a pre-action protocol letter to Keith Christopher Rowley to call the elections now!

“I’ll give you a few days and if you don’t respond, we have our legal luminary Ravi Balgobin Maharaj to take you back to court to demand that elections be held.”

The state of “limbo” following the judgment is the PNM’s fault, she said, adding that Government needs to say how it will rectify the situation and how soon.

Persad-Bissessar said her letter to Rowley would call for him to address councillors’ concerns, including if their offices are vacant. She felt they were vacant since last December and if councillors did anything they’d be liable for “acting illegally.”

“But the most important question—what is the date of the Local Government election,” she added.

She said she didn’t know if the Government would validate councils or otherwise.

“But they can’t bring a ‘Lazarus’ bill to raise the dead—we’ll take you to court again!”

Persad-Bissessar added, “We’re on the road to victory for Local Government or general elections whichever they may be!”

She said the PNM knows the Local Government “elections are coming” and were “patching potholes”. She claimed they’d use the chairman and mayors who can function, “to do their bidding.”

Persad-Bissessar warned that property tax is coming via a bill in Parliament tomorrow—the Valuation of Land bill. However, she said union leaders took “four per cent from Rowley and not a dog bark…”

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