Tancoo challenges Imbert in House on Friday

OROPOUCHE West MP Dave Tancoo will lead the Opposition UNC's charge as he moves a motion of no confidence against Finance Minister Colm Imbert in the House of Representatives on Friday. Tancoo is also UNC chairman and the party's shadow finance minister.

In his motion, Tancoo has alleged that Imbert "has demonstrated his inability to competently execute his duties to bring certainty, confidence, stability and growth to the national economy."

This will be the third motion of no confidence against a government minister that the UNC has brought to the House within the last three months.

It brought motions against National Security Minister Stuart Young and Energy Minister Franklin Khan on January 27 and February 26 respectively. They were filed by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee.

The UNC did not complete the debate on either motion. With Government having 22 MPs in the House to the Opposition's 19, the private motions could only be passed if the Opposition persuaded at least two government MPs to vote with it.

In the debate on the motion against Young, the Prime Minister challenged the Opposition to file a motion of no confidence in him as the head of the government.

Dr Rowley told Persad-Bissessar, "Your motion is misdirected. I take responsibility for what the Ministry of National Security does and what this Government does. So come file a motion against me for what we are doing to defend the people of Trinidad and Tobago."