Kamla: Democracy lost with Young’s appointment

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has described the swearing in of Stuart Young as the eight Prime Minister and the appointment of a Cabinet, without a general election, as a “bloodless coup d’etat.”

She also questioned the legitimacy of Camille Robinson Regis as the newly appointed Attorney General (AG) amidst concerns that she does not have a practising legal certificate.

“Today you lost your democracy,” she told supporters at a United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the Brazil Secondary School in the La Horquetta/Talparo constituency on March 17 as she lashed out at People’s National Movement (PNM) MPs, branding them as “cowards” for supporting Young’s succession.

She boasted Brazil Secondary was a school which was built under her People’s Partnership government as her party drummed up support for their candidate Phillip Watts, a former executive member of the PNM in that constituency.

She accused the 20 MPs–some of whom first objected to Young succeeding former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley but later backtracked on that decision–“of having sat and allowed this coup d’etat and, the incompetent and unelected Young to be placed as the Prime Minister.

“They took away the right of PNM members to choose a leader. They took away the right of every citizen to select and elect a Prime Minister.

“This is what you call a bloodless coup. Coups without a drop of blood shed. This happened under Rowley anointing his ‘Gary Sobers.’ They have exercised a coup d’etat.

“Today the country has been sold, sealed and delivered by Rowley and Young to their friends and financiers, and they were aided and abetted by the 20 PNM MPs.

“Don’t let them get off the hook. If they cannot defend their own party members, would they be able to defend you – the people of TT?”

Arriving last at the meeting as her convoy was involved in an accident, though no one was hurt, Persad-Bissessar weighed in on the swearing in of Young and his Cabinet.

“What we have witnessed today with the illegal swearing in of the unelected Young is a blatant disregard for the Constitution, as the PNM desperately scrambles to hold onto power through deception and manipulation.

“The appointment of Stuart Young as Prime Minister, without the mandate of the people through a general election, is an unlawful act of desperation.

“It is a clear attempt to manufacture the illusion of change in the hope that citizens will forget the last ten years of pain, suffering, abuse, and nothingness that Young was a major part off, but the people of Trinidad and Tobago are not fooled.

“The PNM is merely reshuffling the same deck of failures, hoping to convince the electorate to ‘give them a chance’–a chance to continue their terror and destruction of our nation.”

Contrary to what the PNM is offering, she said Robinson-Regis is not a new direction.

“This is a sinking ship scrambling for lifeboats. We are in reverse gear,” she said, asking her audience if Robinson-Regis inspired confidence in them and receiving a resounding, “No.”

“This is not leadership–this is a bad deck of cards with no trump.”

Taking aim as the incumbent PNM MP Foster Cummings, who has been reselected to contest the La Horquetta/Talparo seat, she recalled his desire to lead the party.

“Foster, who wanted to lead, has put his tail between his legs and said, ‘Yes master’ and signed the paper (authorising support for Young to be presented to the President), because all of them want to ‘eat a food.’ Keep their wuk.”

She said the PNM was using fear tactics to damage the political fortunes of the UNC as she extended an invitation to PNM members to join the UNC.

Rowley invited UNC members to join the PNM on March 16, during the PNM’s presentation of candidates at Woodford Square, Port of Spain.

Persad-Bissessar submitted to the PNM supporters that Young and Rowley had “betrayed” them.

“PNM members, come to the UNC. Come to where you and your family have a future for prosperity and a future of peace.

“The doors are wide open. Brighter days are coming under the rising sun. Come into the light and free yourself of the blight of Rowley and Young. I am the leader who loves every one of you.”