UNC slams PM’s address – Long on words, short on ideas

UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar - Marvin Hamilton
UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar - Marvin Hamilton

THE Opposition UNC described the Prime Minister's address to the nation on Thursday night as an admission of his Government's failure to deal with the covid19 pandemic.

In a statement on Friday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Dr Rowley was long on words but short on ideas.

"Thousands in our nation are concerned, worried and many are grieving due to the untimely loss of loved ones, yet not a single plan was put forward by the Prime Minister."

She added that Rowley's appeal to citizens at a time when more than 2,000 people have died from covid19, rang hollow.

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal predicted the speech would have been a non event.

"It turned out to be rambling memoirs on a fireside chat," he said.

“The Government is clueless and hapless. They have thrown their hands in the air on the covid disaster." He said Government is "numb to the daily death and infection rate."

Moonilal added, "Their policy now is every citizen see after himself or herself and see you on the other side."

On composite meme photos of Rowley and Sesame Street's Cookie Monster, posted on social media after the address televised on Thursday night, Moonilal said, "This was an insult to the lovable rascal Cookie Monster."

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray believed Rowley missed an opportunity to offer a course correction on Government's management of the socio-economic issues caused by the pandemic.

"After $6 billion spent on covid 19, there is a virtual collapse of the SME (small and medium enterprise) sector and medical institutions are under serious fatigue."

Paray claimed Rowley continues to display "a lack of decisive leadership with poor strategy execution."

Recent drastic measures taken by other countries (such as border closure and sending unvaccinated workers home) which Rowley mentioned in his speech, were a subtle message from him of things to come. "Procrastination is not a trait of decisive leadership," Paray said.

UNC deputy leader David Lee said, "I am still waiting on the takeaways."

There was nothing that Rowley said which he has not previously said or which has not been mentioned in the news. "He dangled the reopening of beaches and Carnival in our face once again. This was campaigning."

UNC chairman Dave Tancoo said, "Over 2,000 men, women and children, vaccinated and unvaccinated have died from covid."

He accused Rowley of having skewed priorities.

"The health sector is in crisis, making plans for more space to accommodate dead bodies, workers suffering from exhaustion and burnout, thousands of positive cases monthly, new more aggressive variants...and all Dr Rowley could tell the nation is that we will have Carnival next year?"

Tancoo expressed disappointment that Rowley did not empathise with the families of people who died from covid19, but chose to engage in 45 minutes of public relations.

"While people are dying every day in droves, all he is thinking about is fete."

UNC PRO Dr Kirk Meighoo said, "The number one takeaway is that the Prime Minister did not acknowledge the fact that we passed the terrible milestone of 2,000 covid deaths."

"He does not care that children are dying. The whole point of this charade on Thursday night was to get citizens worked up, anxious and eyeballs on the television, just to play a THA ad at the end."

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"UNC slams PM’s address – Long on words, short on ideas"

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