‘Hotfoot’ Rowley told, deal with floods

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath is taking Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to task for deciding to leave for Belize tomorrow while the country continues to deal with the flooding crisis.

Rowley and other Caricom leaders will discuss the prevention and treatment of natural disasters at the IV CARICOM-Mexico Summit.

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday said Mexico has great experience and institutional capacity in the prevention and treatment of natural disasters. Mexico recently experienced two major earthquakes.

However, Padarath in response, accused Rowley of having a “hot foot” for attending the conference. He said Rowley needs to adhere to the notion that charity begins at home. He said Rowley’s statement about the ODPM should have prompted him to take a more hands on approach in dealing with the flooding that has affected several parts of the country.

Padarath claimed this was Rowley’s 18th trip out of TT since becoming prime minister. Last Friday, Minister in the OPM Stuart Young refuted Padarath’s claims about Rowley’s official overseas trips. He said the number of those trips was closer to seven.

Padarath wondered if Rowley was leaving TT, satisfied that all systems to deal with ongoing relief efforts were in place and more responsive to the needs of those affected. On the weekend, Padarath claimed Rowley toured flood-hit Manzanilla only after facing criticism for choosing to stay in Parliament while the country was flooded.

The summit will be co-chaired by Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. The objective of this summit is to consolidate the progress of the III CARICOM-Mexico Summit which took place in Merida, Yucatan in April 2014.

The scheduled talks further endorses the importance Mexico places on cooperation with the Caribbean in matters of security, migration, climate change mitigation and the prevention of natural disasters.

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses will accompany Rowley to the summit. Rowley leaves today and will return on Thursday. Finance Minister Colm Imbert will act as prime minister.