$100,000 A PLATE

Dinner with Manning
Anna Ramdass aramdass@trinidadexpress.com

Specially invited guests will sit down to a campaign fund-raising dinner with Prime Minister Patrick Manning next week-at a cost of $100,000 each.

The event entitled "Conversations with the Prime Minister" is an initiative of the public relations committee of the ruling People's National Movement (PNM).

The black tie gala dinner is scheduled to take place next Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Pier 1, Chaguaramas, which is owned by the family of Tourism Minister Howard Chin Lee.

If the event recruits 200 paying customers it will net $20 million for party coffers.

Sources told the Express that the event was being handled with extreme caution and secrecy and invitations were sent to select persons.

A letter from committee chairman and Ambassador Plenipotentiary Jerry Narace says to contact Michelle Khan, Trinidad and Tobago Miss World representative in 1996 who runs a public relations and events management company, "to obtain your invitation".

Khan confirmed the dinner but was unable to divulge further details. Also Narace, when contacted, was unable to provide information as he was engaged in a meeting.

The notification of the event states that since the PNM was re-elected in 2002, the party has acted swiftly in an effort to develop all citizens as the Vision 2020 was pursued.

The PNM's commitment to improving infrastructure, revitalising communities and towns, developing the economy as well as challenging and supporting all citizens to aspire and achieve their dreams were included in the notification.

"Meaningful changes takes time and our ability to achieve the vision of Trinidad and Tobago as a prosperous, stable nation by 2020 requires that we sustain our present efforts with continuing stable, good and ethical governance," stated the invitation.

"In the circumstances, we have especially targeted you to join us and share ideas as we converse over dinner with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago," the invitation continued.

"We feel confident that a contribution of $100,000 per invitation will assist in funding our campaign which will enable us to continue on a progressive development path towards the achievement of 'First World' status," added the invitation letter.

Sources told the Express that some of the top PNM financiers have already pledged their commitment to attend and support Manning in his campaign for the upcoming general election.
Dinner with Manning
Anna Ramdass aramdass@trinidadexpress.com
Political analyst and researcher Derek Ramsamooj told the Express that a political party in this country must have the capacity to raise and spend between six and eight million US dollars in this year's election race.

He said this money covers two areas -media advertising and political organisation and management on the national and constituency levels.

"This increase in political expenditure can be attributed to competitiveness in the media advertising and rising expectation of the electorate," he said.

Ramsamooj, who heads the Caribbean Development Research Strategies company, told the Express that statistics on Caribbean political campaigns reveal that it costs approximately US$100 to win the vote of one person.

I would pay any-focking-thing to see a few conts, some pricks and a couple assholes in jacket and tie dining with King Kakahole and his wife, Queen Cyat. And with the rate food prices rising lately - by the time this fockin gala comes off, a plate of food WILL cost an average Trinidadian $100,000.00 !!

So many fockin starving people here, people eating and living in dumps, hospitals have no beds... but people could afford to pay $100,000.00 for a plate of food??? Basic things like bread, onions, milk and chicken are too expensive for the average household. So many workers are out of jobs (BWIA, Caroni Ltd, Casinos, Doctors etc) but fockin PNM showing off and frolicking. I never ever hear the PNM have a fund raiser for poor, starving, jobless people.

Not $100, not $1000, not even $10,000 but a staggering $100,000 !!!!

But is now dey get fockin ketch - all who goin to this will be all dem fockin jefes who get big contracts. Look out for dem and yuh will figure out the corruption.

It good to jus park up by Pier One that night and see all who goin in. The fockers and dem will want to hide. Look out for the big time financiers.