The prime minister moves away from tradition, and issues two messages for independence 2026.

One was for the nation and the other for her party, the United National Congress.

She says, the second message on the nation’s 64th Anniversary of Independence was to “specially acknowledge the most important people to her…”the UNC family”.

In that statement, the prime minister said, the UNC membership was born of people mired in poverty who, at times, survived on salt and rice, while drinking water from ponds and springs, sometimes eating one meal a day to make the sacrifices needed to educate us, in cowsheds and church annexes.

The prime minister and UNC political leader said, they were objects of ridicule and hatred in this country for years under the Peoples National Movement, post-1962 Independence.

Yet she said, for over 64 years, they fought to educate their children to ensure that they owned their rightful place, as equal citizens in this country.

While encouraging UNC members to live with love in their heart, she said, they must not crawl on your belly for anyone adding it’s either peace or total war, nothing in between.

She said, the leadership of the party must never fall into the hands of weak men and women; finesse and diplomacy must be backed up with steeliness and savagery, when required to defend the UNC membership.