00:00The report of the National Advisory Committee on Constitutional Reform was released by the
00:06Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday.
00:09The opposition leader weighs in, saying it's the same tired PNM gimmickry used before when
00:15they duped gullible pseudo-intellectuals and some businesspersons.
00:21Kamala Prasad Bassasso writes, quote, the government has spent millions and ordered
00:25about 37 probes or committees since 2015 which have produced no benefit to the population.
00:32They were ordered purely for deflection and propaganda.
00:36This reform report is just a conjure to be used as the PNM manifesto for the upcoming
00:42general election, end quote.
00:45Recommendations of the committee include changing the way elections are conducted from first
00:49past the post to proportional representation using an independent process to appoint a
00:55president and fix dates for election.
00:58But Prasad Bassasso says the consultations were very poorly attended and not even PNM
01:03supporters, she said, took it seriously.
01:06Additionally, the opposition leader said the committee was comprised of unqualified persons
01:11for the task and was met with mostly empty rooms.
01:16The committee also proposed two consecutive terms for a prime minister and a lapse period
01:22of five years before a re-election.
01:25But the opposition leader says as the rowly PNM has nothing positive to campaign on with
01:30a country overwhelmed by crime, high food prices, unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure
01:36and stagnant wages, they intend to campaign on constitutional reform.
01:41The committee reflected on TNT's economic, social and political developments since 1976,
01:48saying, quote, while some economic and social progress has been achieved, it has not been
01:53sufficient to ameliorate the social conditions for many who live in absolute poverty, including
01:59the circumstances that have drawn many into crime, end quote.
02:04Prasad Bassasso says blaming poverty and poor people for crime is a lazy and ignorant statement
02:09as people of all income levels commit crime.
02:13She said, quote, so the PNM appointed committee needs to explain what data they have collected
02:18to show this lazy assumption they have come with, end quote.
02:22The opposition leader attributed the illegal drug trade to the level of murder and criminality
02:26in the country.
02:27Gangs, she says, are fighting for tooth to sell drugs and they are committing home invasions
02:33and robberies to fund their purchases of guns, drugs and bail payments.
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