(l to r) UNC Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar and PNM Leader Dr.Keith Rowley (File Photo)
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Aug 12, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s two main political parties continued their campaign ahead of the September 7 general elections on Tuesday night with Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar denying that her coalition People’s Partnership government had put out a hit on the Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley.
Rowley, himself told supporters that they should be prepared to hear more “ridiculous things between now and September 7” as he sought to link the government with accusations made by a female journalist last weekend that she left her job after being traumatised following an encounter with the leader of the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM).
Prime Minister Persad Bissessar, who is leading the United National Congress (UNC) led government into the election, told supporters that her administration was not involved in any plot to kill Rowley.
“I want to make it very, very clear, absolutely clear that the government, members of my government, not a single person has hired anyone or befriended anyone to kill anyone or to get anyone to lie and I think that is a reckless and dangerous statement.
“If there is a death threat, I think the police have acted appropriately in increasing the security of the individual but to say that that threat comes from the government is totally out of order and totally not true. Absolutely not true. Totally inaccurate. So I condemn that statement,” she said as the party continued screening of candidates ahead of Nomination day on August 15.
Rowley made the accusation during a PNM political meeting in Tobago last Sunday and while National Security Minister Carl Alfonso had initially denied any knowledge of the threat, later told reporters he had been “officially” informed by the police.
Persad Bissessar said that she was urging the police to do their job, adding “if the Opposition Leader has evidence, he should take it to the police. Those reports should be made to the police.
“The government is in no way involved in getting friends or enemies to lie on anyone,” she added.
Rowley, addressing a public meeting on Tuesday night, told supporters that he expects more accusations to come his way until the elections are held.
“For me, I expect to hear the most ridiculous things between now and September 7th. I expect to be accused of burning down the Red House in 1939. I expect to be accused of breaking down the bridge between Trinidad and Tobago.
“Anything at all to make me look bad in your eyes, I am asking them for a favour. I am asking them for a favour. The next time you want to associate me with a woman, please bring one that I am accustomed to,” he said, while not calling the name of the journalist by name or making any reference to her.
But attorney and PNM Vice Chair Camille Robinson dismissed the allegation made against Rowley by the journalist, Anika Gumbs, saying it is nothing more than part of the “dastardly plan” of the government to put Rowley in a bad light.
Robinson, an attorney, recalled the statements made in the Parliament by the junior minister Vernella Alleyne-Toppin that Rowley was born as a result of a woman being raped by his father.
“Now we have this other character from the media saying that she was so traumatised that she can no longer wear a dress… she said she had to leave the Express because she was so traumatised she went back to Dr. Rowley on two or three occasions.
“This same person who has contracts with the Government without equipment of over TT$500,000 (One TT dollar –US$0.16 cents). Can they be believed? It is an overall plan, a dastardly plan, a hate campaign trying to paint our Leader in the worse way,” she told supporters.
