Embargoed until 9:00pm

Jack Warner Speech ILP Local Government Election Campaign Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Sangre Grande Recreational Ground Ojoe Road Sangre Grande Saturday August 17, 2013 My dear brothers and sisters, in the constituency of Toco/Sangre Grande, in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and in the wider national community of Trinidad and Tobago, I begin my discussion with you tonight by asking the Prime Minister and her Peoples Partnership government to call the Local Government Elections when the elections are constitutionally due. Prime Minister, I say to your cabal tonight that they can run but they cannot hide. They can postpone; they can prolong the date down to the very end as they did with the Chaguanas bye-election, but once again, I tell you, the result will be the same. The right for a people to select leaders of their choice is not a privilege given to any government but is a right enshrined in our constitution. So when a government hesitates to call elections when they are constitutionally due, then as a nation we must never hesitate to tell them so. And the best way to do this is to put them out of office!! In other words, to use a long time phrase that was successfully used at the time VOTE THEM OUT! The Peoples Partnership government has now become power-hungry and power- driven and this we must never tolerate. They are vulgar and they take this whole nation for a nation of fools. This is the government that promised to do things differently they had promised change, they have given you exchange. They had promised you service, they have given you abandonment. They had promised you democracy, they have given you autocracy but worse of all they had promised you honest government but instead they gave you corruption personified. They have turned what should have been an honest government into "a den of thieves". How else can you explain the elevation of Mr. Keith Richards, a resident of Maloney, to the positions he now holds in the Toco/Sangre Grande constituency. He is the right hand man of Minister Rupert Griffith. He is the Ministers unofficial adviser. He is the Chairman of the Sports Committee in Grande. He is also the Chairman of the Sangre Grande Carnival Commission which last year received its highest ever grant from the

NCC. He is the Regional Manager of the URP Programme in Sangre Grande at a salary of $10,000 per month and yet he has a 6 team CEPEP contract where he also receives, in addition to his URP salary, another $30,000 per month. So far for this year Sangre Grande URP has had over 100 URP contracts awarded to them, of course by Minister Suruj Rambachan (whom I will deal with later) yet less than 10 % of those contracts went to the people of Toco/Sangre Grande. More than 90 % of those contracts were sold at a percentage and Minister Griffith is fully aware of this. With regard to the sale of contracts in Toco/Sangre Grande, they are no respecter of persons. For I have information that, as late as last month, one such URP contract, KP Lands Beddded Footpath, was sold for $30,000 to a member of Mr. Griffiths Constituency executive whose name is Jit Hardeen. Hes that constituencys Vice Chairman and together with Keshore Satram, the constituency's PRO and Anderson Sookhoo, that constituency's Party Organiser and Keith Richards, all support Griffith in the raping of Toco/Sangre Grande against you the people. Other URP contracts, instead of coming to the people of Sangre Grande, have been sold to gangsters from Matura to Matelot to Grande Riviere one of whom was held during the last State of Emergency. Richards and his Minister are doing so well that today both of them have their homes being refurbished at a cost of well over one million dollars each (Houses shown, first Griffith's and then Richards' - Pix 1 ), I am advised, and while all this corruption is taking place the lower order officials in URP Sangre Grande are being transferred willy-nilly so that they will not know what is happening here. That is why the Assistant URP Regional Manager of Sangre Grande has been transferred to a sub office in Mayaro. Activists in Grande and environs are afraid to speak out through fear of victimisation. But with the advent of the ILP and the Sunshine Newspaper more and more persons are now coming forward to talk, to produce evidence, to speak out. I intend to reward every whistle blower who comes forward with credible evidence of corruption at any level of this government and more importantly, with the help of the public, especially you the people of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, I intend to protect them by saving their jobs. Toco/Sangre Grande is unfortunately trapped in a small circle which includes Griffith, Keith Richards and Vijay Persad. Vijay Persad, the present Chairman of the Toco/Sangre Grande Constituency Executive, handpicked by Dr. Griffith, is a Director on the I.GovTT Board, under Griffith and it is also reported that this same Persad is now the purchaser and owner of a large tract of land in Black Avenue an entire village in Grande. It is

alleged that Persad, Griffiths left hand man, purchased the lands from Parks Enterprises Ltd for $5M and he is now forcing villagers who have been living on the lands for years to now pay exorbitant prices or face eviction. Where Vijay got $5m from is anybody's guess. What, for me, is very disgusting is that while all of these corrupt activities are taking place in Toco/Sangre Grande, you, the people who live in this constituency, are not getting the benefit of good governance and the opportunities that this provides. There seems to be no hope for the young people in this constituency. In 2010 Toco/Sangre Grande had the highest unemployment level in the country 40%, today it is worse at 55%. In 2010 eco-tourism in Toco/Sangre Grande was about to lift off! Today it is stone dead. Not even the turtles in Grande Riviere and Salybia are safe anymore while all this is taking place an eyesore of a tourist booth in Valencia is allowed to languish....... the booth looking at the daily traffic jams to and from Sangre Grande in total bewilderment. In 2010 the fishing industry in Toco/ Sangre Grande was thriving today it is virtually in a coma. Dont reshuffle your cabinet,Madam Prime Minister fire them!!! First fire your councillors, all of them, by calling Local Government Elections NOW!! Then fire your corrupt cabal!!! Dont reshuffle the same pack of jokers! I am advised that you are planning to make Ramadharsingh your Minister of Local Government. Well, Prime Minister if you do that, heaven help this country! I have read where Ramadharsingh is quoted as saying that he welcomes the probe by the Integrity Commission. Is this guy for real? I want to play for you tonight just a small clip on this minister from a CD I have. Listen good. ( Clip Is played 2) Apart from what you have just heard tonight, I accuse this Minister of other things. I accuse him of having a sex ring in his ministry where employees are forced to have sex for favors. I have names and places and dates of the persons involved. Futhermore when one employee complained to the then Permanent Secretary, Christine Sookram, that employee was promptly fired. Tonight I accuse Minister Ramadharsingh of having numbers of persons in his Ministry who abuse the food card system. I have these persons names and telephone numbers and the value of the food cards. While poor people have to wait sometime as much as two years or whenever an elections are called for a food card, food cards have been issued like a bush fire to friends and family, some to buy meat for a wedding others for a cookout by the river. I have the evidence.

I have the facts, in fact I have received envelopes upon envelopes of food cards not delivered since last December all bound for the dump heap. And some of them found their way in my post box. Look at them ( Food cards shown 3) Will you still keep this Minister, Prime Minister? And Prime Minister, let me warn you, what I have said so far of this Minister is again only the tip of the iceberg. How can you re-shuffle Suruj or even keep him as your Minister of Works, when he uses his office to benefit his friends and family and then lies to the nation. Let Suruj tell the nation if he did not give 3 contracts without any proper procurement policy to a company called Aidon and let him tell the nation if his daughters boyfriend is not one of the owners of this company. And while he's conjuring up another lie let him explain to this nation who are the principals of PR Contracting and advise the nation how many contracts they received for 2012 alone. Let Suruj initiate an audit in the RDC (Rural Development Company) and PAESL (Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprise Limited and let the nation see the level of corruption in these two state companies. Let Suruj tell this nation that he has not given any contracts to one of his neighbors who does not know the difference between a shovel and a trowel. Let him say that he did not participate in the over-budgeting of contracts especially in the Tabaquite constituency. He told a radio station 91.1 earlier this week that he does not know the Vice President, Legal Affairs of NIDCO, one Dinanath Ramkissoon. Let him tell the nation that this Vice President is not living less than a stones throw away from his Ramsaran Park home. Let him also tell the nation that he did not give Dr Harold Ramkissoon, "Micro", the mobile number of the Prime Minister and tell him to text to her negative comments on Jack Warner. Let him tell the nation of the millions of dollars worth of contracts he gave to contractors to do work in Chaguanas West for the bye - election there from which there were heavy kickbacks. But, worse of all, let this racist of a Minister, tell this nation that he never instilled fear and that he never spread racial slurs against me during his campaign in Chaguanas West. Last week I spoke to you about what the PM whispered in the ear of an old Indian women who was repulsed by what the PM allegedly told her and I said then that I wonder what Ministers Mc Leod, Roberts, Peters, Coudray and George would have said if they only knew. I refused then to tell the nation what the PM is alleged to have told the old Indian why she should not vote for me. However today I have no qualms about exposing Minister Rambachan and I now play a tape for you from one of my constituents in Felicity ( DVD shown 4). The only other Minister to surpass that is Minister Devant Maharaj whose new wife is now championing his cause through some organisation or the

other called Equality something..........a cousin of GOPIO. How can a Minister like Rambachan hold political office. The first day he went to the Ministry of Works he asked for a list of all the vacancies there and said is "we time now..........". The next day he attempted to change the complexion of the Ministry's Communication Unit. I can go on and on and talk about more corruption and discrimination in the Ministry of Works but not tonight. I welcome more pre-action protocol letters on Monday, Suruj, after you have made another round of the media houses. All I will say for now is to bring them on. My English QC is anxious to have Suruj, Ramadharsingh and others under cross examination. I can leave Suruj for the time being and even talk about the insults to all his employees as well as to the members of the public from Minister Sharma when he was Minister of Local Government and even now as Minister of Transport but not tonight. Were I to speak about all levels of corruption under him as late as last week it will take me all night with to no end in sight.........so I will leave that for the time being. Tonight is not the night for that. I can tell you tonight about a Minister who gave a contract to a company named Voltron a few months ago for millions of dollars when this company was not even one of the preferred bidders for a contract....... but not tonight. I have copies of a contract where this Minister has given a security firm to supply 500 TV sets for schools for some $14.9 million as late as last month. But again not tonight. When examined, this contract stinks to the high heavens but tonight is not the time for that. I can even tell you who is this countrys youngest ever holder of a diplomatic passport but tonight is not the time for that. I can tell you much more about many things which I have since learnt on leaving this government whether it is agriculture or trade, whether it is the environment or housing especially housing and lands but tonight is not the time for that. For I have learnt very early in life that there is a time and place for everything. Tonight is not the time. Because of the ILP and my new role I am hearing all kinds of rumours of my pending demise and I say to them so be it. If I go, copies of my evidence will still be alive. As late as 3:55 am on Tuesday, one of their allies, Inshan Ali, breached my security at home and, with a black bag in his hand, said that he had brought some pepper sauce for me. Inshan Ali was the poster boy and campaign strongman for Ms Khadijah Ameen. He supplies Rienzi with food when there are meetings there but he comes to my home at 3:55 Tuesday morning last to bring pepper sauce for me. I told him to get to hell out of my yard and never return. I have since beefed up my security 100%. If I want pepper sauce there are 27,000 persons in Chaguanas West to whom I can turn. And you have to remember that in the cabal today are some of the same guys who shot up their own vehicle just before an election so as to blame the opposition! These are indeed dangerous times my brothers and sisters and desperate men do desperate things!

Of what value therefore will a Cabinet like this one do for this country with Ministers of the kind I have just described. Madam Prime Minister, how will a reshuffling help when you have such persons from whom you take advice? Almost everything in this country is at a standstill except corruption and crime, both which are now galloping out of control. Since you are not crying over the corruption taking place under your nose, Madam Prime Minister, do not bother to shed any crocodile tears over crime. Prime Minister, lead from in front, without the cabal, and implement even half of the anti-crime measures which I had started when I was Minister of National Security and, overnight you will see the difference. Madam, Prime Minister, let me remind you of some of the anti-crime initiatives which l had advocated: Establishment a Gun Court to treat with gun related offences Reintroduction of Night Courts Establishment of courts in the remand yard of the Maximum Security Prison The return of the Prison Service under the Ministry of National Security. Review of the legislation as it relates to firearm matter so that the burden of proof lies with the defendant and not the prosecution. Enforcement of liquor laws especially with regard to the sale of alcohol to minors. In this regard, the appointment of Liquor Law Inspectors Construction of new police stations throughout Trinidad and Tobago. I had begun work on 9 such police stations - Moruga, La Brea, Oropuche, Brasso, Maloney, Piarco, Arima and Cumuto. Integration of a transformed Transit Police into the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and allow the traffic wardens to police Suruj Priority Bus Route. Just before I was transferred from the Ministry of Works, I had gotten permission to recruit 1200 Traffic Wardens, in the first instance. Up to today this has not been achieved. Reintroduction of the highway patrol unit 24 X 7 along the our major highways Establishment of 32 Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Community units (using the model which I had opened in Belmont). Increase of the police fleet by over 300 vehicles including motorcycles. Tell the nation madam Prime Minister why after my begging you and the National Security Council during my entire term as Minister of National Security, tell the nation why nothing had been done with regard to: The introduction of the use of radar guns and taser guns. The recruitment of five thousand SRP officers and to have them trained at UWI during this summer vacation, and out of this group assign 3000 as

community support officers. The University will reopen next month and not even one SRP will be trained there far less 5000. The creation of a virtual/cyber command centre Madam PM, there are over 30 other anti-crime measures which I had proposed including the creation of 5 Army camps in key coastal areas; the creation of police coastal stations in 12 locations which I had named. I had advocated that we address matters affecting the promotion for all ranks in the protective service and especially to address the Regulations of the SRPs so as to bring some much needed to the police and this included the regularisation of the method of appointing a Police Commissioner. Madam Prime Minister, in the list of measures which I had proposed to you, were also measures to deal with corrupt police officers which measures had even been approved by the Ag. Commissioner of Police. Madam Prime Minister, I had also advocated for a National Citizens Consultation on Crime. I suggested taking a two-pronged approach - a soft, preventative and proactive approach (parenting, relevant education) combined with a firm hand approach of the law. But no action to date Madam Prime Minister! Why Madam, Prime Minister? Why? To solve the recent crime spiral, instead of leading, you are crying!! Free yourself from the cabal, Madam PM and instead of crying, youll be leading from the front for the first time!!!! Don't reshuffle them Prime Minister, fire them! Madam Prime Minister, how deep this level of corruption has affected the very lives of our people will surely be known when the date for the election is set. We will expose every known act of corruption practised by this Government to ensure that the billions, some of which we hear are being exported to off shore banks as far as India, will be returned and spent on the people of Trinidad and Tobago who are being deprived of their patrimony. But they will not want this level of exposure. I have been advised that there are plans to postpone the Local Government Elections retroactively through a simple majority in Parliament. I wish them well. My brothers and sisters of Sangre Grande and environs, you must stand firm like your forefathers, who in the 16th Century fought the Spanish right here in one of the biggest battles ever, hence the name Sangre Grande much bloodshed. Then they fought another battle, somewhat smaller a few miles east of here, hence the name Sangre Chiquito, little blood. Today I ask you to resist the Peoples Partnership autocracy with the same force as your

forefathers did against the Spaniards autocracy but this time not through bloodshed but through the ballot, through the Independent Liberal Party. And while we are working dutifully, the Prime Minister, on her cabals advice, is telling her activists at a meeting at Rienzi on Wednesday last, to get five persons from each constituency to write saying good things about them in the media and negative things about us in the ILP (since the PNM is no longer their biggest threat)...........her activists are to call the talk shows and do the same thing all strategies of an age long past! I can only sigh. As I begin to close, I wish to assure you that the ILP will be different because we will be a party that will represent our people, act on behalf of our people and perform to their satisfaction. So tonight I am happy to inform you that the ILP has now decided to fight all the seats in all the Regional Corporations - some 131 in all. Screening of candidates will begin in two weeks time following a Local Government Convention which takes place on Sunday August 25 at Centre Point Mall Ramsaran St Chaguanas starting from 10:00 am. A full Agenda for the meeting will be published in the newspapers and posted on our Facebook pages and web site (Facebook and website now appear on the screen 5). All prospective councillors are invited. For too long our people have suffered, for too long our people have been kept down, for too long our people have been fooled by phony, greedy and corrupt politicians. The ILP will make a difference through representation, action and performance. The ILP will look after your best interest. This government must not be allowed to deny our people basic needs while lining the pockets of their investors. They cannot deprive you of improvements to your social welfare while they fatten their pockets through graft, greed and corruption. No government will deprive you of your rights and expect to hold on to the reins of power. The ILP will never do that. As your local government representative we will stand with you to represent, act and perform for you and on your behalf. We have set up our own blog (ILP blog is shown 6) where persons are free to tell us about neglect in their area, along your street, in front of your home; what is personally affecting you and your family because we intend to govern interactively where every citizen is given a voice to air their concerns so that your ILP Government can respond. And you will be able to monitor how well we are representing you and you will hold us accountable. We are now appointing Interim Corporation Committees headed by Interim Corporation Coordinators. These Coordinators and Committees will have

specific Terms of Reference under which they will be expected to perform. The first of these Committees is to be established right here in Sangre Grande with one of your very own as the Interim Corporation Coordinator. I therefore now introduce you to Mr Dayne Francois the Interim Coordinator for the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. Dayne is no stranger to you, being a former Councillor of Sangre Grande North West. Continuing on our drive to ensure that you, our members, have a voice, we have also set up an 800 line, (800-4ILP shown 7), that will provide you with information and where you can also tell us of any corrupt practices you may be aware of - with evidence of course - taking place in your Ministry, in your community, in your district of which you may be aware. Corruption is a disease; it is a cancer. Together we can fight the cancer of corruption and together we shall win. The ILP proposes to work for the people to ensure that we create a better TT for all our people. The time is now and you are the people. The future of our country no longer lies in the book bags of our children but in the choices of our people. Choose wisely and vote ILP. No one would have ever imagined the power of the index finger. When the date for elections is called stain it for the ILP because you want performance, representation and action. Come next Saturday, August 24th, from 1:00 pm, we will be walking the streets of Laventille, meeting the people there, eating with them, talking with them, listening to them as we share each others dreams for a better country. On Tuesday, August, 27 we shall be holding our next mass public meeting behind the bridge at the Piccadilly Greens. Before that meeting, on the same day beginning from 1:00 pm the Green Brigade will begin its island wide "Meet the People Tour", starting from Carenage and traversing through West Moorings, Diego Martin , Diamond Vale, St James and other adjoining communities and ending with the mass meeting at the Piccadilly Greens at 6:30 pm. More and more all over the country people are experiencing the touch of the Green Brigade. Wear anything green, say anything green and convert everything in your way green. As you leave tonight, go home safely. Each one, reach one in your community and tell them of the unity we have in the ILP and encourage them to VOTE ILP.

Some people cant sing One Love anymore because the nation hears pure hate in the music but as we say goodnight let us do so with the strains of the Mighty Stalin because you and I know that we can make it if we try! (We can make it if we try is played 8) God bless you all.