Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 02/Jan 04:02

MSJ's Abdulah slams PNM, UNC

MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) head David Abdulah slammed both the UNC and PNM in his New Year's message on December 31. He said the PNM deserved to lose last April's general election and that the UNC in office had failed to change systems of top-down governance. Branding 2025 a momentous year, with elections in TT and the US, he said the election of Donald Trump as US leader had resulted in Project 2025. He lamented "the ultra right-wing agenda to change that country based on white supremacy and the use of executive power to rewrite history." He said, "In terms of international relations, this agenda is about imperialism on steroids in order to gain control over resources and to bully nations into concessions through unilaterally-imposed tariffs contrary to the World Trade Organisation rules; threats of visa revocations; the use of illegal sanctions; and military power – gunboat diplomacy." He said in the Caribbean two parties lost elections – in TT and in St Vincent and the Grenadines – while two others were returned to office – in Jamaica and in St Lucia. Abdulah said in TT the PNM deserved to lose. "They had so totally lost the confidence of the people of TT that the party’s vote count dropped by over 100,000 from 322,180 in 2020 to 220,160 in 2025, and the 2020 election too saw the PNM get 56,000 votes less than it got in 2015." The MSJ leader said the PNM's alleged arrogance in office and neo-liberal policies further enriched the wealthy while putting more pressure on working people and the poor. "The attacks on the trade unions and the economic crime of closing Petrotrin, shutting down the refinery and retrenching all the workers was another factor." He said return to office of the UNC under Kamla Persad-Bissessar (along with some trade unions) had offered hope in an era of new polices and end to the old politics of the PNM. While people wished to see the back of the PNM, he said this was not expressed in a positive way by a majority of the electorate. "The voter turnout at 54 per cent was the lowest since the 'No Vote' campaign of 1971. "The UNC, while steadily increasing its votes from 290,000 in 2015 to 309,654 in 2020, did not benefit hugely from the dissatisfaction with the PNM in 2025 as it and its coalition of interests parties combined for 350,734 votes." However, he lamented that the UNC had won 26 out of the 41 seats (with the TPP's two seats in Tobago) effectively giving the government 68 per cent MPs for just 30 per cent voter support. "The UNC therefore ought not to act in government as if it has the support of the majority of citizens. Unfortunately, there are signs that it hasn’t recognised this." Abdulah said recent examples were statements such as "this country is a lawless dump" (uttered by Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar) and the huge reversal of this country’s long-standing foreign policy positions including not aligning to any dominant world power. Of the UNC, he said, "And while there have been positive signs – consultations with stakeholders on some issues (scrap iron sector), refinery start-up committee and settlement of some long outstanding wage negotiations, there have also been negative signs – lack of consultation with maxi-taxi associations and Carnival stakeholders and a new manifestation of prime ministerial power: 'I will do this regardless.'" He said improving the behaviour of citizens cannot be achieved by penalising them or bullying as he claimed the UNC is trying to do and as the PNM did before. "It can only be achieved by consistent education and the involvement of the people, starting from the ground up in communities and civil society organisations." Abdulah said the PNM does not recognise that citizens do not wish a return to the old. "Its leadership team, principal spokespersons and senators primarily represent the last ten years of the PNM that the population rejected. The PNM cannot lead fundamental change." "What all this says is that while the people wanted to see the backs of the PNM they were not totally confident that the UNC could bring about fundamental change. "Fundamental change means new and better governance where the people actively participate in decision-making instead of the top-down system that exists. It means the transformation of the economy from that which has existed since independence, where only a few benefit from the country’s wealth, to one where everyone can have a better life." To bring about such fundamental change, he said, requires a new mass movement that challenges the status quo. "There are signs of this new mass movement such as seen with the Vigil for Peace, solidarity with the Palestinian people and the developments in Burkina Faso and the Sahel. "The new year 2026 needs a revolution of the mind which will birth new movements!" The post MSJ's Abdulah slams PNM, UNC appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.