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Kidnapping / Elections / Help Us! - Page 8

Remaining poll cards delivered today

TTPost has received all poll cards from the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and most of them have been delivered, according to Doug MacLean, TTpost CEO.  The balance, MacLean said, should be delivered by today, with the possibility of a small number having to be delivered tomorrow. “I am pretty much satisfied about the situation,” he said yesterday. But Everald Samuel, general secretary of the Postal Workers Union, remains unhappy an unhappy man, saying the union has unresolved problems with TTPost. Last Wednesday a group of postal workers protested against certain working conditions. Samuel condemned the management for refusing on several occasions to meet with him, saying it was only through fruitful discussions that the problems could be resolved.  MacLean said over the past two days he had tried to organise meetings with the union and added that one was scheduled for today. —Danielle Martin

Us Elections Kidnapping

UNC promises to right PNM’s wrongs if elected

The United National Congress (UNC) has promised to right the PNM’s four decades of wrongs to Tobago if elected to Government in Monday’s General Election. The party is not contesting the two Tobago seats now held by the PNM but has included Tobago and tourism in its General Election Manifesto which was launched at a rally at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya last Sunday. The UNC noted that no other Caribbean island was blessed with anywhere near the incomparable natural attributes of Trinidad and Tobago, yet no other country, anywhere, had done less than the twin-island state, to convert outstanding natural attributes to economic benefits for its citizens. The manifesto recalled that long ago, the PNM haughtily intoned that Trinidad and Tobago was not to become “a nation of busboys and waiters” by embracing tourism. “From that moment, we’ve been missing the proverbial boat, and for that matter, the tourism plane, as well,” the UNC said. It added that a generation not yet born when that was said had been robbed of untold benefits because of the PNM’s rejection of tourism as a generator of jobs and fuel for the economy.

The UNC said other regional governments were less shortsighted and with a lot less than Trinidad and Tobago, their citizens have benefited handsomely from tourism. The party said that tragically, the PNM, in four decades of government, never had a viable tourism policy that has denied Tobago and Tobagonians that economic opportunity that the citizens of smaller, less appealing destinations now enjoyed. It said that one of the major anomalies in global destination management was that tourism was never a concern of the owners of BWIA.  “The unique and invaluable benefit of ownership and control of an international air carrier yielded no particular benefit to Tobago’s tourism over the years. Indeed, there is now the huge anomaly of internal airlift between Tobago and Trinidad being a cabotage granted to a foreign carrier.” The UNC noted notwithstanding the unending outpouring of election goodies by the Manning administration, communications between the twin islands have no value added. It said such dereliction in an election year would not have taken place had the PNM not been holders of the two Tobago seats in the House of Representatives.

To right the recurring PNM wrongs to Tobago and tourism, the UNC promised, if elected to immediately commission a Task Force of international tourism marketing developers to define and package Trinidad and Tobago’s cornucopia of tourism products and to fine-tune a branding strategy for tourism. Within 90 days, the UNC said, Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Inc, a private/public sector entity to drive the marketing of tourism brands, will be established. It will market a full portfolio of tourism brands, thus optimising the marketing potential of Trinidad and Tobago’s diverse tourism mix. It promises to upgrade and refurbish Crown Point airport to bring services in line with Piarco airport. In education, the party promises to place specific emphasis on Distance Learning in Tobago. It also promises to build an artificial hockey turf similar to that of the one it built at Orange Grove in 1997.

Kidnapping / Elections / Help Us! Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

EBC: Electoral process not compromised

The Elections and Boundaries Commission has denied media reports suggesting that the electoral process has been compromised in any way. In a statement issued last evening, the EBC said it had investigated several claims and found no evidence of tampering or of names being added to the final list of electors. It assured that no names were or could be added to the electoral list since the publication of the Supplemental List on September 27. Of a report that a ballot box at the Special Polling Station at the Mon Repos Fire Station had been opened by the presiding officer during the voting process, the EBC said it had investigated the matter and found that it was related to the removal of the seal on the ballot box. However, it has found no evidence of tampering of the 10 ballots inside. The EBC said it was however concerned about television footage which showed a number of supporters wearing party symbols entering the polling station and conducting themselves in an intimidatory fashion towards the presiding officer during the voting process. The EBC said it has referred to the police evidence of one person interfering with the ballot box.

Page 8 Us Elections Kidnapping

Walking the marginal tightrope

Mr Hart, in the aftermath of the 2000 general election- which you lost, you were distraught for a long period. How emotionally equipped are you to deal with a similar situation should you lose next Monday night? EH: Yes. I was traumatised because of the events surrounding those polls. Prior to the election date we could not find about 3,000 people registered as voters when we were canvassing, which I reported to the leadership of the party, who subsequently met the Elections and Boundaries Commission. They told us that was not really so but I kept on complaining which went up to the election day itself. And as soon as the polls closed, the UNC’s constituency office which is located near here fired rockets, blasted music, celebrating before the first vote was counted, because they knew they had won. And that pattern did not change. It continued in 2001 which included deletions where we had people running like headless chickens all over the place demanding they be allowed to vote because they couldn’t find their names on the list.
This time around...? (Interrupting) We have another dimension now...  Before getting there, are you having problems finding names on the list?

Just yesterday we did an exercise at Manoram Road in Kandahar Village and we were unable to locate 41 persons listed as voters in that area; some migrated and some do not exist but they are on the list. And we are going to publish those names because we intend to take stern action and it cannot go on like that. Heaven knows how many more have been strategically placed around the constituency. We have concrete evidence where people came from Chaguanas, people came from Biche, from other constituencies and are registered to vote in Tunapuna. Gypsy told me the UNC discovered a similar situation in his constituency (Ortorie/ Mayaro), and action was taken to rectify that. What is preventing you from taking corrective measures? We reported this matter to the EBC but we were told that the EBC is short-staffed, that they don’t have enough people to investigate these things and the names are there already, so that’s it.
You are going into the elections with the apparent knowledge that the cards are stacked against you? (Somewhat forlornly) Yes. And many of the things we spoke about before are still happening—like poll cards arriving at addresses where those people never lived. And right on Richard Street a polling station has been relocated to the Tabernacle Church a little way from here.

Didn’t somebody object to the station being where it was? But who is the somebody? And what is the objection? I am not sure if a candidate ought to be informed about the pending removal of a polling station but I certainly was not informed about this change-over. I have concrete evidence about Guyanese living in the mountains coming down during the day for water in the same church and going back in the night to sleep.  With that kind of information why don’t you take the authorities to flush out these “illegal people”? Well I don’t want to say anything on that, Mr Raphael. Right now I am very concerned that the election should be reduced to this sort of thing.  Mr Hart, your victory resulted in the 18-18 tie in 2001. Yet you were not made a full minister. Do you think you are not being taken seriously by the party’s hierarchy? I will not say so but I feel to myself—that is my gut feeling—that with my experience in the political arena I feel that if given that opportunity—I would like to be given that opportunity—and I hope one day that it would happen.

Do you think you are being overlooked because you are not —quote and unquote—lettered, unlike some of other candidates, and are you content simply always being the bridesmaid and not the bride? (Lowering his head and smiling) No. And that is being honest. Whatever is given to me... I am a team player. Why do you think the Tunapuna voters should return you to the parliament? (Takes out a blue ink pen and proceeds to scribble on a copybook page on the table) OK. Well I have been in the trenches for over 40 years here. I am rooted here, as you see, based here. I have an open-door policy at my home. If you look at my political track record, 1991-1995, in three years I was able to get the St Augustine Regional Complex, the Wharfe Trace community centre, La Seiva hard court, La Mango hard court,

Tunapuna Administrative Complex, water up in the Caura Valley and a lot of other things. All that happened in three years and ten months. And now that we are back in government for eight months, Tunapuna is shining once again. We have given water to more than 5,000 households. So based on that the people would want to continue to support me. What I am pleased about is the re-introduction of several people-oriented programmes that the UNC regime had abandoned. So the people are solidly behind Eddie Hart, man. And Eddie Hart is solidly behind them. That incident involving the Mayor of Chaguanas and yourself which the police are investigating, Prime Minister Manning has apologised on your behalf. Was he correct to do so? Mr Manning has always been in the role of peacemaker and it’s what he stands for and we are a disciplined party. Things got out of hand at the EBC in Tunapuna in terms of voices being raised. There was a heated exchange of words between Mr Nagessar and myself. Hearing Mr Nagessar was inside there with a whole set of people getting them registered- I mean that was too much for us to take.

When you say it was too much for you to take, was he breaking the law? Yes. He was taking people who don’t reside in Tunapuna. How do you know that? (Scribbling more intensely around the entire page) Because the evidence shows that. They were transferring them; if somebody come with their ID card saying Chaguanas, and they say that you live at Morton Street in Tunapuna, and you don’t live there... that is breaking the law. Are you suggesting the EBC is incapable of tracking down illegal voters and you were right to take the law into your own hands? Nobody took the law into their own hands. We questioned their presence because we felt all was not well as reports were coming in over the past few days leading up to that particular day—people coming to be registered who don’t live here. There are some hard working people at the EBC and I commend them for that, but there are others at the higher echelon (raising his hand with the pen above his head) who are in collusion with the UNC. You have any evidence to support that? (Back to the scribbling and raising his voice) I will continue because I suffered the brunt of that in the year 2000, and here it is we are faced with the same problem again. We have to be tracking down Guyanese... we are not the immigration authorities.

The fact that he has apologised, doesn’t it suggest you were culpable in that incident and why didn’t you apologise yourself? I did humbly apologise on the radio, not on the press and that is perhaps why you are asking me that question, you did not hear the apology. I said that already. Right now that is a non-issue... I have more pressing problems because I have to move and stop these people. Is Carlos John a non-issue? (Frowning while scribbling) Carlos John came into Tunapuna and probably underrated Tunapunians. Carlos John thought, ‘I come into Tunapuna, I a big jefe, I have plenty money, people go be eating outta my hands so I could go into the market and I give the vendors lipstick and this sort of t’ing,’ which he did Sunday. They do not need nail polish, they need better facilities to ply their trade, improved facilities at the market. So it’s utter disrespect going and buy out bread at a bakery and offer the people, you understand?

That sort of politicking. I thought that was something of the past. Carlos John just come into this constituency and started giving away things. I am saying Eddie Hart and his family have been giving out things to the residents long before I came into politics. Mr Carlos John just giving that because he want them to vote for him and you never see me in full view of the camera giving out things to needy. I see that you are ready to go on your walkabout, so finally what’s your message to the electorate in Tunapuna? Yeah, I getting ready. What I want to say? That we in the PNM have always been advocating free and fair elections and incident free. We have done well over the past nine months or so and we want a clear mandate to continue the job that we have been doing. Mr Hart, as of 11.38 a.m. Wednesday, do you think Monday’s poll will be free and fair and free from fear? Well, I am just hoping. We are doing our best to ensure that the elections are conducted properly because our mission is to save T&T.

Us Elections Kidnapping

Deadheat

Equal levels of support — 46 % — for the ruling People’s National Movement, and the United National Congress.


That’s the indication from the UWI election poll conducted for the Sunday Guardian, which also suggests Tunapuna may lead to a nail-biting close to the poll count tomorrow night where both parties have mustered equal support — 44% support each. A significant 11% remain undecided.


Meanwhile, the UNC has a seven per cent lead in Barataria/San Juan over the PNM’s 38%, where the don’t know factor is highest — 17%.


The UNC also has a five per cent lead in Ortoire/Mayaro over the PNM’s 47%.
In San Fernando and St Joseph, the PNM shows six and four per cent leads, respectively, over the UNC’s 44% and 46%, respectively.


The poll suggests the UNC has gained ground in three constituencies since the mid-September UWI poll, and the PNM in one:


— In San Juan/ Barataria, the UNC gained nine points and the PNM three.
— In Ortoire/ Mayaro, the UNC has gained three points and the PNM has lost one
— In San Fernando West, the PNM has gained nine points and the UNC 11.
— In St Joseph the PNM has gained six points and the UNC two.


— In Tunapuna, support for both the PNM and UNC, there was a fall in points by five points and four points, respectively, and “don’t know” responses increased by eight per cent since the last survey.


Overall, it suggests the UNC has gained four points, and the PNM three since the mid-month UWI poll of opinion in the marginals.


Support for the two other parties — Citizen’s Alliance and the Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago — seems to have dwindled to less than one per cent, while seven per cent of the sample population remains undecided.

Race factor


As ethnicity continued to dominate the voting pattern, “mixed” persons were more likely to support the PNM than the UNC. Of all the mixed persons in the sample, the PNM captured 63%, the UNC 27%, CA 1%, with 9% undecided.


Party performance


On assessment of performance of the two parties — the PNM from January to September, and the UNC from 1995 to 2002 — the poll ranks the UNC some 11 notches ahead of the PNM. It also showed a virtual equal division on support for power sharing.
Popularity for PM
Meanwhile, ratings of Basdeo Panday’s popularity for Prime Minister continues to lag behind Patrick Manning’s by some 12%. Citizens Alliance’s Wendell Mottley remains the “underdog”, with now just two per cent of the support, while the DPTT’s Steve Alvarez commands just one per cent support. Those undecided amounted to some nine per cent.


Crime


In all the marginal constituencies, the PNM’s performance as it relates to crime received the thumbs down — with more than 50% of those polled in each constituency rating it as “poor/very poor”.


Conversely, its ratings on provision of roads as “very good/good” was highest in San Fernando West (61%) and lowest in Barataria San/Juan (35%).


The poll, which has a plus/minus four per cent margin of error, assumes the two Tobago seats will remain with the PNM, as no survey has been done to assess opinions of Tobago voters. It was also conducted before intensification of advertising, walkabouts, and platform campaining; before the UNC’s manifesto launch and presentation of Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall as part of its crime-fighting promises.

Kidnapping / Elections / Help Us!

Deadheat

Equal levels of support — 46 % — for the ruling People’s National Movement, and the United National Congress.


That’s the indication from the UWI election poll conducted for the Sunday Guardian, which also suggests Tunapuna may lead to a nail-biting close to the poll count tomorrow night where both parties have mustered equal support — 44% support each. A significant 11% remain undecided.


Meanwhile, the UNC has a seven per cent lead in Barataria/San Juan over the PNM’s 38%, where the don’t know factor is highest — 17%.


The UNC also has a five per cent lead in Ortoire/Mayaro over the PNM’s 47%.
In San Fernando and St Joseph, the PNM shows six and four per cent leads, respectively, over the UNC’s 44% and 46%, respectively.


The poll suggests the UNC has gained ground in three constituencies since the mid-September UWI poll, and the PNM in one:


— In San Juan/ Barataria, the UNC gained nine points and the PNM three.
— In Ortoire/ Mayaro, the UNC has gained three points and the PNM has lost one
— In San Fernando West, the PNM has gained nine points and the UNC 11.
— In St Joseph the PNM has gained six points and the UNC two.


— In Tunapuna, support for both the PNM and UNC, there was a fall in points by five points and four points, respectively, and “don’t know” responses increased by eight per cent since the last survey.


Overall, it suggests the UNC has gained four points, and the PNM three since the mid-month UWI poll of opinion in the marginals.


Support for the two other parties — Citizen’s Alliance and the Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago — seems to have dwindled to less than one per cent, while seven per cent of the sample population remains undecided.

Race factor


As ethnicity continued to dominate the voting pattern, “mixed” persons were more likely to support the PNM than the UNC. Of all the mixed persons in the sample, the PNM captured 63%, the UNC 27%, CA 1%, with 9% undecided.


Party performance


On assessment of performance of the two parties — the PNM from January to September, and the UNC from 1995 to 2002 — the poll ranks the UNC some 11 notches ahead of the PNM. It also showed a virtual equal division on support for power sharing.
Popularity for PM
Meanwhile, ratings of Basdeo Panday’s popularity for Prime Minister continues to lag behind Patrick Manning’s by some 12%. Citizens Alliance’s Wendell Mottley remains the “underdog”, with now just two per cent of the support, while the DPTT’s Steve Alvarez commands just one per cent support. Those undecided amounted to some nine per cent.


Crime


In all the marginal constituencies, the PNM’s performance as it relates to crime received the thumbs down — with more than 50% of those polled in each constituency rating it as “poor/very poor”.


Conversely, its ratings on provision of roads as “very good/good” was highest in San Fernando West (61%) and lowest in Barataria San/Juan (35%).


The poll, which has a plus/minus four per cent margin of error, assumes the two Tobago seats will remain with the PNM, as no survey has been done to assess opinions of Tobago voters. It was also conducted before intensification of advertising, walkabouts, and platform campaining; before the UNC’s manifesto launch and presentation of Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall as part of its crime-fighting promises.

Kidnapping / Elections / Us - Page 8

UNC parties on ‘field of dreams’
By Prior Beharry

In what he suggested could well be his final election campaign as leader of the United National Congress, political leader Basdeo Panday told a massive crowd of supporters at the Aranjuez Savannah that although he may not lead another election campaign, he has no intention of concluding his campaign for “true inclusion, economic justice for all, social cohesion and a better life for all”. He was quick to add, however, that “lest what I just said be misunderstood, let me take the time to dispel as wishful thinking any assertion by the leader of the PNM that I am about to defect at the climax of this campaign” Panday said there were many within the UNC eminently qualified and capable of leading the UNC and the nation. “When that time comes my successor...will be chosen by you the members of this great party.” Yesterday’s rally, he said, was an occasion for rebirth of the party since it was in Aranjuez 14 years ago, “in this field of dreams”, that the UNC was inaugurated. He said if the UNC was elected to office on Monday if would seek to rename Aranjuez Savannah “The National Unity Park.”

The main themes of the UNC’s phalanx of speakers was the “unholy alliance” between the PNM and Jamaat al Muslimeen. Panday once again said he would share power “win, lose or draw” and he would call on the PNM and all legitimate interest groups to be part of the new government. But, he stressed, the Jamaat would not be part of any such arrangement. The formal ceremony was co-hosted by UNC chairman Wade Mark and former chairman Kama Maharaj. The UNC’s 34 candidates were introduced and speakers included Dr Roodal Moonilal (Oropouche), Dr Jennifer Kernahan (Arima), Gillian Lucky (Pointe-a-Pierre), Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Siparia), Dr Fuad Khan (Barataria/San Juan), Winston “Gypsy” Peters (Ortoire/Mayaro), Sadiq Baksh (San Fernando West), Carlos John (Tunapuna), Gerald Yetming (St Joseph) and Winston Dookeran (St Augustine).

The Aranjuez Main Road was backed up with traffic throughout the evening as UNC supporters lined the streets with their T-shirts and placards, some scribbled over with political picong: “Hazel-Nuts for Breakfastses” on one side, and on the other “Manningitis”, from the song by Nirmal “Massive” Gosine. Abu Bakr, National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee and the lead story in a weekly newspaper were the main topics of discussions on the platform. Panday said constitution reform was imperative and “we are yet to bring about the shaping of a Constitution relevant to the realities of a plural society”. He said if the UNC wins the election with or without the two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution “we would ensure that all Trinidad and Tobago will embark immediately on the process for fundamental constitutional reform”.
He said the first-past-the-post and winner-take-all system will be banished.

Responding to the PNM’s continued criticism of the new Airport terminal, Panday cited an advertisement in the European edition of Time magazine of August 26, 2002, in which he said the PNM government praises the new airport built under the UNC regime. He said the headline read, “Airport Upgrade Sets the Base for Infrastructure Overhaul.”
He said, “Would you believe that is we airport that they talking about.” Panday also quoted the current the chairman of the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, Linus Roger, as saying in the advertisement “’Given the projection in terms of passengers we expect there was clearly a need for increase capacity. If we had not acted we would have missed a number of opportunities. If we had left it to some time in the future other areas would have attracted the business.”
“Sadiq remind me to give you the book. You might want to send it to the Commission of Enquiry (into the Piarco Airport Development Project),” Panday quipped.

Kidnapping / Elections / Us Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean - Page 8

Promises, pledges, pacts
By NATASHA OFOSU

reviews the manifesto offerings of the contending parties in the upcoming election.

The political parties contesting tomorrow’s general election have laid them on thick in their various manifestos.


The ruling People’s National Movement created a 16-page document on newsprint and distributed it through the national newspapers. It has focused on the promises it delivered in the last nine months, while making a new “covenant with the people”.


The United National Congress put out a full-colour, glossy brochure, and in its 40 pages introduced candidates as well as measures it hopes to implement. Crime is its major concern and a safe T&T its top priority. The UNC even adds bits of nostalgia with a section recalling the “good old days” before December 24, 2001, when it lost power.


Citizens Alliance is offering a new politics which embraces diversity and will devolve more power to communities to govern themselves. The party took the route of a seven-page highlights flyer while the Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago outlined its vision for the country on its Web site.


Having had the experience of being in Government, both the PNM and UNC were very specific in their language and data. The lack of such experience shows in the vagueness of some of CA and DPTT’s pledges.


Here’s a summary of some of their main promises under the headlines education, health, economic policy, and the role of the State.


Education


PNM: The party says an estimated 21 per cent of the labour force has little or no formal education. It pledges to improve the quality and equity of access to education and training by:


• constructing 23 pre-schools, four primary schools and 14 secondary schools;
• upgrading of educational professionals;
• expanding youth camps in terms of programme content and location;
• widening entry to post-secondary and tertiary education.
UNC: “A highly educated, intelligent, technologically-driven and globally-competitive people,” is the UNC’s aim. It plans to:


• continue and expand the Dollar for Dollar programme;
• develop a strong graduate school and post-grad culture at UWI;
• provide distance learning facilities in Tobago;
• increase the number of Childhood Care and Education Centres for pre-schoolers.
CA: The party regards education as “the most effective point of insertion for breaking the cycles of crime and poverty and achieving social justice,” by
• upgrading teacher training so teachers can help in detecting young people with problems;


• a decentralised approach to education, increasing the input of the community and PTAs;
• investing more in technical vocational training in preparation for another energy boom.


DPTT: Will ensure all schools are equipped to facilitate learning by,
• installing air-conditioning and sound-proofing in every classroom on a phased basis;
• ensuring all schools have computer, biology/chemistry labs and a fully-equipped library;
• encourage youth groups like the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Cross and Cadet Force in schools.


Health




Aims to promote wellness, healthy lifestyles and healthcare for all.
It will:
• train some 300 nurses per year over the next three years and introduce a BSc in nursing degree at UWI;
• provide subsidised cardiac surgery and free prostate and cataract surgery for the poor at public and private institutions;
• remove duty and VAT on all medication;
• clear the backlog of surgeries at public hospitals, reduce the waiting time for operations to a max three to six months.


UNC will:
• Introduce the National Health Insurance system;
• Convert the old Caura Hospital into a Cardiac and Pulmonary Centre, and develop a high-tech burns and trauma centre at San Fernando General Hospital;
• make wheelchair ramps mandatory at all public places;
• upgrade the Emergency Health Service to include helicopter emergency evacuation.


CA will:
• place greater emphasis on community-based primary health care;
• bring hospitals and health centres in line with internationally acceptable standards;
• launch an aggressive public education campaign on lifestyle diseases;
• provide subsidised treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, especially pregnant women.


DPTT will:
• pay healthcare providers competitive wages and benefits;
• introduce a system of free healthcare for all;
• build a new mental hospital and relocate the St Ann’s Mental Hospital to a more serene environment;
• invest in medical research.


Economic policy


PNM will:
• target the energy, manufacturing, agriculture, small business, tourism and transportation sectors to drive economic growth and achieve developed country status by 2020;
• establish a Light Industrial Manufacturing Estate at Wallerfield, creating 70,000 new jobs from 2003-2013;
• expand downstream industries related to natural gas;
• allocate some 7,000 acres to 2,000 farmers under the Accelerated Land Distribution programme.

UNC will:
• transform T&T into a First World nation by 2010 and make it one of the three most competitive nations in the Americas;
• create over 130,000 new jobs over 10 years;
• cut Personal Income Tax and Corporation tax 5 per cent initially, with a subsequent 5 per cent;
• institutionalise national strategic planning.

CA will:
• create a sustainable and globally competitive energy sector;
• make T&T the regional centre for higher education, tertiary healthcare and financial services;
• develop new sectors, for instance, a ship-breaking industry in Sea Lots;
• increase local food production.


DPTT will:
• structure the financial accounts of each Government department so they can be evaluated independently;
• wherever possible, make all State departments self-sufficient and profitable to minimise any negative impact on the Treasury;
• simplify the Income Tax Return form and make it mandatory for all employees to file one.


Role of the State


PNM will:
• decentralise the Local Government system;
• establish a Constitution Commission, involving all parties and civil society, to lead the discussion on constitutional reform and make recommendations to Parliament. MPs will be allowed a conscience vote on the issue.


UNC will:
• pursue constitutional reform after widespread consultation;
• set up a Ministry of Public Administration and Compliance to establish and enforce Codes of Ethics for all Ministries and State enterprises and regulations to ensure transparency and good governance.


CA will:
• hold nationwide consultations to bring about constitutional reform;
• create a culture of transparency and accountability in Government;
• adopt a base-up approach to governance giving communities more power.


DPTT will:
• redistribute power from the few at Central Government to the communities. Central Government will oversee the development of major roads, State policing, and the delivery of State policies;


• set up townships with responsibility for their own security (community police), maintenance of secondary roads and bridges, schools and public buildings.
Townships will be equipped to provide services such as registration of births and deaths, land deeds and taxes, and have satellite offices for passports and driver’s licences.