"You can't be half pregnant," Kamla tells Rowley

Kamla Persad-Bissesssar took out Keith Rowley again Friday night, challenging him to go on a national platform and endorse his leader.

Speaking at a political meeting of her People's Platform coalition, the leader of the United National Congress (UNC) said Rowley must explain why he is reluctant to endorse the man who fired him and called him a "Wajang" and a "raging bull".

And she said if he does endorse Manning he would be endorsing corruption and UDeCOTT, two issues on which Rowley gained national acclaim for raising questions about how UDeCOTT operated and how its then chairman, Calder Hart, was operating with no accountability to anyone.

Persad-Bissessar also pointed out that Rowley had his own private agenda to overthrow Manning and that is why he has been speaking about what is to be done after the election.

Rowley told supporters in Diego Martin Thursday night that an election is not the time to throw the captain of the PNM ship overboard. But he had another clear message to the PNM.

"I am a sailor in the PNM ship. I know what my duty is. The battle cry is ‘don’t give up the ship. It is not time for dry dock or the dockyard.' It is not the time for court-martial," he said.

"I am not playing games. If I show loyalty, it is to the party and the country." Read the story:

Rowley: "If I show loyalty it is to the party and country."

Persad-Bissessar said Rowley has found himself between a rock and a hard place because if he ditches Manning during an election PNM supporters would never forgive him.

On the other hand he cannot endorse Manning because then he would lose all credibility and his "hero" status. Her message to the Diego Martin West candidate was that "you cannot be half pregnant".

And she suggested that he should take a clear position. "You can't keep your captain of the ship when you know he is guiding it towards the rock and sinking all on board with it," she advised.

She said Rowley wants to lead the PNM but in order to do it he must totally distance himself form the leader. "That is why he spoke court martial," she said.

"For what crime will Manning be court marshaled? Is it for corruption? Is it for bid-rigging at UDECOTT? Is it for interfering with the judiciary? Is it for failure to deal with justice, law and order?

"Is it for turning a blind eye and ear to the cries of the poor?...the people want to know Rowley. The people want to know," she declared.

"So after all the huffing and puffing last night (Thursday) we still didn’t hear Rowley take on our dare and openly endorse Manning. Do that Rowley! Endorse the man you claim to be corrupt! You have the temerity to tell us leave Manning alone?"

She suggested that Rowley is self-serving. "So he predictably tries to disassociate himself from Manning but to associate himself with the Party - and so he predictably promotes himself as the only legitimate head of the PNM."