Kamla on Young as PM: 'An affront to democracy'

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, speaking at the UNC's first cottage meeting for 2025, said on the night of January 6 that the selection of Stuart Young, SC, as Dr Rowley's successor as Prime Minister was not only vulgar but also an affront to the country's democracy.

Pulling no punches and in a combative mood, the Siparia MP said this was a case of Rowley hand-picking his successor after he announced last Friday that he would resign as PM and not put himself back as a PNM candidate for the general election.

On January 6, he announced that Young had been chosen by the parliamentary caucus to serve as prime minister on his demitting office.

Persad-Bissessar was the feature speaker at the cottage meeting, which also featured some of the party’s general-election candidates such as attorney Wayne Sturge (Toco/Sangre Grande), attorney Devesh Maharaj (St Joseph), retired principal Dr Michael Dowlath (San Fernando West) and Saddam Hosein, who is contesting San Juan/Barataria, where he is the incumbent MP.

While saying what goes on in the People’s National Movement (PNM) was that party's business, Persad-Bissessar raised some of the past news-related matters surrounding Young, such as his ex-stepdaughter and drug charges.

Raising some of these matters, Persad-Bissessar said Young was a dangerous pick for public life.

She claimed he had recused himself approximately 101 times from the Cabinet. She explained that a person recused themselves when there was a conflict of interest in the decision being taken in Cabinet.

She said Young had no compassion and no liking for the majority of citizens.

Persad-Bissessar spoke to the October 10 incident in which Young was overheard using the word zami (a Patois term meaning lesbian) in Parliament after opposition members including Persad-Bissessar walked out.

She also referred to Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George’s roundly reprimanding Young for those comments, which she then described as despicable.

She called on those gathered at the meeting to “big up” Annisette-George, saying she did not know what was going to happen to the Speaker for doing so.

Persad-Bissessar said the UNC was the only party who called internal elections democratically.

The next prime minister must be chosen in a free and fair election, she added.

She said Young must not sit in the seat as an anointed prime minister and that Trinidad and Tobago’s future must remain in the hands of the people.

She called on TT to vote out the PNM and added that that had to be done in partnership, pointing out that the Progressive Empowerment Party’s (PEP) political leader Phillip Edward Alexander was at the cottage meeting.

The UNC would deliver the change the country needed, Persad-Bissessar said.

“Rowley, just go, nah, and call the election now! Why do you want to stay and keep our nation in stasis? Call the election now,” she demanded.

She also repeated the call to have observers at the next general election.

She said the party had to have boots on the ground.

“When we win, everybody wins,” she said.