Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 25/Sep 22:30

Beckles: Protect Trinidad and Tobago’s sovereignty and identity

OPPOSITION Leader and PNM political leader Pennelope Beckles says the PNM remains committed to the legacy of its founder Dr Eric Williams to protect Trinidad and Tobago's sovereignty and national identity. She did so in a statement on September 25 to mark what would have been Williams' 114th birthday. Williams, TT's first prime minister, was born on September 25, 1911. He died on March 29, 1981. Beckles, who was appointed opposition leader in May and elected unopposed as PNM leader one month later, reflected on Williams' family background, education. literary accomplishments and 25 years in public life, during which time TT achieved independence and subsequently republican status. " I reaffirm my duty to defend the truth of our history, to preserve the legacy of Dr. Eric Williams, and to protect the sovereignty and national identity of our beloved country." Beckles said, " TT is not strengthened by false narratives, but by honouring the sacrifices and vision of those who came before us." She added, "As we honour his birth, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideals he championed: intellectual excellence, national sovereignty, political integrity and Caribbean unity, and to live by the watchwords chosen by him for our nation - discipline, tolerance and production." Beckles said, "His greatest legacy remains the PNM, a political institution rooted in his vision of equity, education, and national pride." [caption id="attachment_1175848" align="alignnone" width="663"] Dr Eric Williams. -[/caption] She added, "Undoubtedly, the PNM remains one of the oldest and most stable political parties in the English–speaking Caribbean. There are those with revisionist agendas who are desperately trying deny his legacy." UNC PRO Dr Kirk Meighoo has claimed Williams was never TT's first prime minister. Meighoo has said this is a personal view and not a political one. Beckles said, " Whether it is desperation for attention, jealousy, delusions of grandeur or plain and simple intellectual bankruptcy, they simply cannot and will not be able to compare to and with Dr. Eric Eustace Williams. " Williams' daughter, Eric Williams-Connell, and other historians have dismissed Meighoo's statements. Beckles urged citizens to recommit themselves to Williams' principles "Discipline in our conduct, productivity in our work, and tolerance in our society. These values are timeless, and they remain the pillars on which TT must stand as we chart the way forward." Williams, Beckles continued, was not only the architect of TT's independence but the conscience of the country as well. "May we continue to walk in the light of Dr. Williams’ vision. Long live his great, enduring and inspiring legacy." Beckles is currently in New York where she has been invited to attend the 80th UN General Assembly. She is a former TT ambassador to the UN. A statement issued by the Opposition Leader's office on September 23, said Beckles will engage in meetings on the margins of the UN, where she has been invited to discussions on matters of international concern. While in New York, Beckles will meet with members of the TT diaspora there. The statement said Beckles' engagement schedule, reflects her commitment to "ensuring that TT continues to have a voice in shaping conversations and decisions of international importance." The post Beckles: Protect Trinidad and Tobago’s sovereignty and identity appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.