Renuka Singh
It’s been one year since the 2020 general election and since the People’s National Movement took office.
At last year’s election, the defending PNM was able to amass some 13,000 votes over the United National Congress (UNC).
The past year was not without great difficulty as the country dealt with the COVID-19 virus and the global battle for vaccines.
Guardian Media reached out to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Energy Minister Stuart Young, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and the party public relations Officer Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing for feedback on this past year.
Young, in his response, said the Government “has continued to guide Trinidad and Tobago through difficult times brought on by the global pandemic ie COVID-19.”
“I am confident that we will successfully navigate these unprecedented times and difficulties,” Young said.
Young said the Prime Minister has provided “the needed leadership over the last six years and especially during the last year after we were given a fresh mandate by the population in August 2020.”
“Personally, I give the assurance to those who elected me that I will continue to give my best without fear or favour, malice or ill will,” he said.
Lezama-Lee Sing said the PNM thanked the people of T&T “who have been disciplined and who are committed to building a new society as articulated in Vision 2030.”
“We are all in this together, and together, we will achieve the best for our Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.
“One year ago, the People’s National Movement received a renewed mandate from the people of Trinidad and Tobago to manage its affairs for a further 5 years,” she said.
Lezama-Lee Sing said that this first year since the election “has been nothing short of humbling.”
“This administration has had to govern our people under extraordinary conditions, amidst some of the most difficult circumstances, at a time when the world continues to grapple with the many multi-layered, multi-faceted challenges that have come with the global pandemic,” she said.
“Hard decisions had to be taken, and our Prime Minister has done his best to act in the best interest of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” she added.
“We in the PNM continue to be grateful to the population for its confidence and belief in the work and the vision of the PNM,” the PRO said.
She said over this past year, despite prevailing circumstances, the PNM administration has achieved a number of successes.
She said this has been a very fruitful first parliamentary session, with the passage of several critical pieces of legislation which protect our women, which strengthen our national security, and which all redound to the benefit of the population at large.
She said, “Several ministries, including Finance; Agriculture; Social Development and Family Services; Energy and Energy Industries; Foreign and Caricom Affairs; Rural Development and Local Government; Works and Transport; National Security; and Education have played an integral role in delivering items identified in our manifesto.”
The party’s PRO said the Minister of Health and the team at the ministry must be specially commended for their service over the past year, and since the advent of the pandemic in late 2019.
Lezama-Lee Sing added:”We are tremendously grateful too, to the CMO and his team of professionals, and to all the healthcare providers and frontline workers who continue to bravely battle this invisible war on behalf of our county,”
She said the new ministry of Youth Development and National Service has come at a critical time when “our people, and in particular, our young people are called upon to take responsibility for our country. The minister has articulated a number of plans to development of our young people and that will harness the power of the youth.”
She said the Government established a Recovery Plan, the intent of which is to:
-address and mitigate the hardship inflicted by COVID-19
-restart the economy
-lay the foundation for sustained economic recovery.
She said, “This PNM administration continues to work assiduously in pursuit of fulfilling that mandate.
It is imperative that we condition ourselves for life after the severe ravages of COVID-19, and for living with the virus. The Government continues to establish protocols for our new normal and new reality.
During this first year, we lost our beloved Leader of Government Business in the Senate/ Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Senator the Hon. Franklin Khan, she said
Meanwhile, Al-Rawi also commented on the one year anniversary of the last election.
He said he reflected “on my first year in the second term of the Government by working in the streets and outside of the homes and businesses in San Fernando West,” yesterday.
“COVID has been brutal on the lives of people in San Fernando West but though it all I am heartened by the immense progress that we have made in advancing the 11 projects that comprise our waterfront and redevelopment of San Fernando,” he said.
“I am devoted to bringing meaning prosperity to my constituency and thank the amazing people of San Fernando West for reposing their faith and confidence in me,” Al-Rawi also said.
