PM slams 'increasing UNC conspiracies'

THE Prime Minister on Thursday slammed what he described as "the ever increasing use of naked untruths" by the UNC to create unrest and mislead the public.

He slammed the party, its spokesmen and social media agents for using lies as "as a deliberate political strategy to disturb the national psyche, misinform the public or simply to create an issue which they can then engage on their political vines and platforms."

Rowley is still in isolation at his official residence in Tobago after being diagnosed with covid19 on April 6.

In a post on his Facebook page, he said this is the era of the “Big Lie” as a political tool, which was now a major destructive feature of North American politics, alongside the constant conspiracy theories in TT which emerge as “concerns” when lies are hatched by the UNC.

"Clearly we have spawned our version of QAnon," he charged, "but unfortunately for the country its main advocate and proponent is the UNC our official Opposition in the Parliament. Truth matters not only because it’s taught in church."

QAnon or Q is defined as " a wide-ranging, completely unfounded theory that says that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media." According to a BBC report in January, it started in 2017, included numerous postings on social media and alleged that Hollywood actors and Democratic politicians were in a cabal opposing Trump.

Rowley said, "With the best of intentions and usually with the best will in the world we do not always get everything right. "Mistakes can be and are frequently made. This we can all understand. We are all only human."

But he said the UNC continues to mislead the public and create issues for its own benefit. Rowley cited allegations by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar about "a minister's one per cent wedding in St Clair in violation of covid restrictions" and Opposition Senator Wade Mark of covid19 vaccines being stolen from the Couva Hospital as examples. He said both claims were false.

In the case of Persad-Bissessar's claim, Rowley said as prime minister he knew of no minister who hosted a wedding as described.

"In the same speech she rails against similar 'disregard in Tobago where ministers were playing in golf tournaments.'" Rowley said as far as he knew, he was the only Cabinet minister who plays golf.

"I have not played in a golf tournament in Tobago sinc early 2019."

He rejected Persad-Bissessar's assertion that he had no intention of participating in three no-confidence motions in Parliament against Finance Minister Colm Imbert, late Energy Minister Franklin Khan and (former national security, now Energy) Minister Stuart Young.

Rowley said only the debate on Young was over and he participated in that debate.

"The other two debates are still open and ongoing and I have made no position public that would allow the erstwhile leader of the Opposition to say that I will not be participating in any of those proceedings."

He also said the UNC is wrong to claim there was no consultation with the Elections and Boundaries Commission about increasing the number of seats in the Tobago House of Assembly from 12 to 15.

"The truth is that the UNC is part of the joint select committee (JSC) of Parliament on this Tobago matter and must know that not only was the EBC consulted but they responded giving their views, all of this in writing to the JSC."