Mark: Govt official called us terrorists

JULIEN NEAVES

OPPOSITION Senator Wade Mark said he was shocked that a leading Government official referred to opposition members as “terrorists” and was yet to apologise. “He put us on the same level as (deceased al-Qaeda founder Osama) Bin Laden,” Mark said on Tuesday in the Senate during a private motion for Government to bring legislation to give Parliament autonomy.

Mark said while he had differences with Leader of Government Business in the Senate Franklin Khan, he viewed him as a rival and not an enemy. But for the Government official to call them (the Opposition) terrorists was, “inexcusable, indefensible and unpardonable. Up to now no apologies from the Prime Minister for this attack.” Mark, however, did not specify when and who made the comment.

On the motion, Mark said that since 1999, efforts had been made to restructure the arrangement of how affairs are managed in Parliament.

He said the democratic credentials of the People’s National Movement (PNM) seem to be very weak when it comes to strengthening institutions. Mark pointed out that Tobago through the Tobago House of Assembly has more power than the Parliament and has a guaranteed percentage of the budget while the clerk of the House has to go, “cap in hand” to the Finance Ministry and be interrogated about every item of expenditure.