Sunday, October 25 2009

“An opinion survey conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) earlier this month has found widespread disenchantment with the government over the realty tax component of the budget and its handling of the controversial state agency, Udecott. But the ruling PNM remains more attractive to voters than the opposition UNC and COP. Prime Minister Patrick Manning remains more popular than Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday and COP leader Winston Dookeran for the post of Prime Minister.”

This was the conclusion reached by the NACTA as the organisation released yet another survey done in this country.

NACTA states that the latest NACTA poll was conducted to find out opinion on current issues. NACTA says that the organisation interviewed 580 likely voters to yield a demographically (38 percent Afros, 42 percent Indos, 18 percent Mixed and two percent others) representative sample of the population. The poll has a margin of error of four percent.

“The findings are not flattering to any of the parties with opposition supporters calling for the formation of a new political movement to take the country forward,” the NACTA claims.

Asked if they approve of this year’s budget, 16 percent said yes with 72 percent saying no citing strong opposition to the new property tax.

Asked if they approve of the Government’s handling of the Udecott affair, only 26 percent said yes with 58 percent saying no, citing a strong dislike for Calder Hart.

According to NACTA: “Voters were praiseworthy of the government for putting the Uff’s Inquiry back on track. Almost every respondent approved of the government’s initiative to legitimise the inquiry with parliamentary legislation as well as in getting Udecott to withdraw its objections for a continuation of Prof. Uff hearings while it mounts a bias challenge to the inquiry.”

Asked if they approve of how the country is being governed, only 30 percent said yes as compared with 56 percent who said no and 14 percent who offered “no comment” and/or no response.

Asked if their disenchantment with the Government will influence them to shift their support to the opposition, traditional PNM supporters said the opposition parties are not an alternative because they do not have their house in order. Disenchanted PNM-ites want their party to roll back the property tax or exempt the poor from it. However, some PNM supporters feel the government needs to do a better job in educating the public about the tax.

NACTA claims: “Traditional opposition supporters are angry with the leadership of the UNC and COP viewing Panday and Dookeran as liabilities to their parties and obstacles to the opposition coming together. If the opposition were to unite, it will give the PNM a run for its money at the next election.”

The polling group further states: “However, supporters of COP indicated they don’t want Panday as leader of a united opposition and UNC supporters don’t want Dookeran as leader. Opposition supporters feel Panday should step aside and hold internal elections to choose a new executive and Dookeran should make way for more dynamic leadership of COP. Many of the voters, including all those disenchanted with Manning, Panday and Dookeran, said they would prefer a new political outfit led by a youthful person.”

When asked who they prefer as Prime Minister if the choice were Manning, Panday or Dookeran, there was 32 percent support for Manning to Panday’s 16 percent and Dookeran’s 14 percent.