Kamla: No UNC member disrupted RIC consultations

OPPOSITION Leader and UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was adamant that no member of the UNC was responsible for disrupting any public consultation held by the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) on proposed electricity rate increases.

Persad-Bissessar was equally adamnant that she will ignore any call from the Government "to rein in her members" and make them desist from the behaviour they were alleged to have committed at any RIC public consultation.

She made this defence of UNC members during her contribution to debate on a private motion filed by Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit in the House of Representatives on Friday.

Referring to calls from Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales earlier in the debate to compel UNC members to desist from deviant behaviours at the RIC consultations, Persad-Bissessar demanded he prove that any person who committed those alleged acts was a UNC member.

"I don't know if it was emblazoned on their foreheads, ' look I'm a UNC and I'm behaving bad'."

She asked how could anyone prove that people attending the RIC consultations were UNC members.

"How do you know when members of the public come because they are so fed up, frustrated and worried,you are saying they will be UNC?"

Persad-Bissessar admitted that UNC parliamentarians did attend some of the consultations.

Her comments caused inaudible comments to be exchanged between government and opposition MPs.

Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde identified Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee and Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh among the offenders as he restored order in the Parliament Chamber.

He said, "All members will have an opportunity to enter into the debate on this particular motion."

Forde added that the only MP who was recognised to speak at that time was Persad-Bissessar.

Persad-Bissessar said it seems as if the RIC was building a case in the consultations for increasing electricity rates. She urged the RIC to cease and desist from any such increase for at least one year, until it gets proper data on households in TT and their respective income-earning capacities.

Opposition MPs thumped their desks when Persad-Bissessar declared that neither she nor the UNC will not accept any blame from the Government for everything that is wrong in TT today.

"I reject that outright. I am not taking that blame. Not today."

She fully endorsed Mohit's view that people in TT are suffering today because of the PNM.

"TT is in a dark hole. People are suffering."

In a statement on March 16, the RIC said it would not be bullied by anyone andwill complete its public consultations on a proposed electricity rate increase, as it is required to do under the Constitution.

The commission gave this assurance after one of those consultations at Centre Pointe Mall, Chaguanas, on March 15, had to be aborted because of what the RIC described as the unruly behaviours of some of the attendees.

UNC MPs Barry Padarath, Indarsingh, Dinesh Rambally, Anita Haynes and Saddam Hosein were at that consultation. UNC PRO Kirk Meighoo and other UNC activists were also present. The RIC promised that security at future consultations would be intensified to prevent a repeat of those events.