Despite criticism over her decision to issue a special Independence Day message directed at members of the United National Congress (UNC), Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has again used a national holiday to deliver a message specifically to the party’s membership, this time on Republic Day.
In the message marking the 50th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago becoming a republic, Persad-Bissessar told UNC supporters that the party was “no longer in retreat” and was now “dominantly marching Trinidad and Tobago into a new order”.
She said the UNC and its predecessor parties had been “underestimated, vilified and disrespected” since 1976, blaming what she described as the “selfishness, cowardice and arrogance” of people within the party for allowing that to happen.
“Those days are over,” Persad-Bissessar declared, warning that the UNC would “ruthlessly and ferociously defend” its beliefs, policies, party and membership.
Reflecting on the significance of Republic Day, the Prime Minister said the country had accepted in 1976 the responsibility of fully governing itself.
However, she argued that Trinidad and Tobago had failed to live up to the expectations of that moment, pointing to what she described as societal decay, economic inequality and missed opportunities over the past 50 years.
“We cannot continue chastising ghosts of the past to numb the shame of having never truly lived up to the expectations we had for ourselves as a country 50 years ago,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also placed strong emphasis on education and personal responsibility, telling UNC members that “power is something you take” and that knowledge was essential to using power for the benefit of the country.
She urged members to educate their children, work hard and reject allowing others to determine their futures.
The Prime Minister encouraged UNC supporters to be “dangerous, ruthless, aggressive, and intelligent”, while urging them never to give up on self-improvement and success.
She also challenged what she described as a limited understanding of the country’s history, saying Trinidad and Tobago’s heritage extended beyond slavery and indentureship.
“Our ancestors came to Trinidad and Tobago from great civilizations in Africa, India, China, the Middle East and Europe,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar ended the message by expressing her love for the UNC membership and declaring: “WE ARE UNC AND PROUD.”
