MND Walks from Tripartite Agreement

May 17, 2006

As you are all aware, last month the Movement for National Development, MND announced that it was entering into a working relationship with the NAR and DPTT.

It was stated back then that we had decided to work together primarily because we believed that we shared a similar philosophy for moving Trinidad and Tobago forward and if that was the case, it would be more productive to work together rather than traverse separate paths to the same goal.

It was also stated at that time that the relationship was similar to that of a courtship that would have allowed us to determine if a long term relationship would have been possible, desirable or more importantly, workable in the best interest of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

Since that announcement there has been a great deal of feedback from supporters of the party and the public in general. This feedback has been considered carefully.

In addition, and as suspected, there has been a great deal of interest by other organizations who have expressed a desire in being part of the relationship, one has even suggested, out of turn, that it would be the umbrella.

The MND has always stressed that our goal is not just to remove the PNM from government at any and every cost. Neither do we have any interest in exchanging one set of worn out tired values with another.

The MND was born out of a desire for genuine change NOT exchange.  

Change of the status quo to facilitate the true development of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

We believe that there is much that needs to be put right that can only be put right by a new and different approach to political parties and politicians and we have articulated this new approach in our draft manifesto for public comment. In short, we need to get off the 40 year cycle of ethnic voting, corruption and dictatorships and return the power to the people.

The MND does not believe in standing for everything because by doing so we would stand for nothing. That's why the MND has no interest in a hotchpotch party of parties relationship. 

The MND remains committed to building a political party that will withstand the test of time and set this country on a new path where all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago will benefit NOT just a few.

The MND is neither an agent for the PNM nor the UNC. We will stand for what we believe to be right and will not be sidetracked by interest groups who do not share our goal of creating a Trinidad and Tobago that is owned by the people and governed for the people as opposed to being owned by a few and governed for that few.

The MND is even less interested in politics of ego and glitz without the requisite substance that will benefit the people.

Having now gone through a period of courtship with the NAR and DPTT, the MND realizes that our core values are not in sync and what seems attractive to the NAR and DPTT is not necessarily attractive to the MND. Furthermore we do not share the same desires for forming external relationships nor the same policies for governance and development of a better Trinidad and Tobago.

These fundamental differences of opinion together with the overwhelming response we have received from the release of our draft manifesto for public consultation, the feedback from our supporters and the public in general of building a strong party based on a set of core values and principles, have forced the MND to rethink its earlier decision.

Accordingly, the MND now announces that what seemed like a workable relationship from a distance has not materialized into a marriage. We understand that life is about trial and error. There are times when a union is good but there are times when it is more beneficial to go it alone. Now seems like one of those times to go the route of the latter.

The MND will continue to build a strong party that is representative of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago and governs in the interest of the majority but always cognisant of the wishes of the few. 

We view this as a minor setback but understand that sometimes it is necessary to take one step back in order to take ten steps forward.

………The Movement for National Development because Trinidad and Tobago deserves better……

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