BY RICHARD LORD

Prime Minister Patrick Manning says the 2012 general election will be used as a “referendum” for his initiative to establish political union with Eastern Caribbean and other Caricom states by 2013.

Manning indicated this during his first news conference at his new office at St Clair Avenue, Port of Spain, yesterday.

He said T&T was supposed to go to the polls in 2012, one year before the proposed establishment of political union among the states.

“If we consult the people in a general election and this is made an election matter, then if we win the elections we have the endorsement of the public...That’s how it works,” Manning said.

He denied that his initiative had been blanked by Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding earlier this week.

“We never sought any signatures from them and therefore there was never any question of being blanked,” Manning added.

Golding, in a statement issued after the meeting, said Jamaica would not participate in the initiative.

And Manning in response yesterday said Jamaica’s position was not new.

He said he was not surprised by Jamaica’s latest position on the integration issue.

He said he was “not worried at all” over the matter. He reiterated that the unity initiative would have no negative impact on the regional movement.