Moonilal: PM has gone rogue

UNC MPs Dr Roodal Moonilal and Barry Padarath have condemned the Prime Minister for the language he used to describe their fellow UNC MP Rodney Charles at a PNM public meeting in Barataria on March 9.

Addressing the matter during a news conferene at the Opposition Leader's office in Port of Spain, on Sunday, Moonilal said Dr Rowley went out of his way "to deliver what really is a hate speech."

He added that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Charles and other UNC members have been subjected to these kinds of attacks by Rowley over time.

Moonilal observed that an editorial in one daily newspaper criticised Rowley while an editorial in another paper did not.

"I want to highlight that this matter did not start here. It started seven years ago."

Moonilal said everyone ignored Rowley then.

"Today what you have is a prime minister that has gone rogue but can say anything that he wants."

Moonilal did not expect Rowley to change his behaviour towards people.

"This prime minister will not change his language. Therefore the country will need to change the prime minister."

He added, 'The man is about 72 or 73 years. What new trick will he learn? It is the same language, the same foul mouth, the same crass."

Moonilal predicted that Rowley's language would get worse with time.

"Apparently, he cannot help himself. He must descend into that kind of abyss. I will not want to descend there."

Padarath picked up on the contrasting editorials mentioned by Moonilal, saying he was not surprised as he singled out the newspaper which criticised him years ago.

"There are several people and business interests in this country that are satisfied to keep Keith Rowley and the government in place instead of looking after the needs and interests of the people of this country."

At a virtual news conference on Sunday, Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah also criticised the Prime Minister, saying attacking people was a means of deflecting attention away from national issues.

But, he also said, the Opposition UNC engages in similar behaviour and was equally to blame.

Abdulah predicted the UNC would attack Rowley for all the comments he made in Barataria last week.

"We have this culture of the two parliamentary parties (PNM and UNC) attacking one another and none dealing with the fundamental problems of the day."

Abdulah said these attacks often see the PNM and UNC "getting down into the gutter and while that is happening citizens are suffering."

He said national institutions and society as a whole were falling apart while the PNM and UNC continued their political bickering.

Abdulah said neither party should be surprised when young people engage in deviant behaviour because of the examples they set.