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| PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar greets supporters before heading to Parliament |
The allegation of blackmail came from Opposition leader Keith Rowley Friday in his presentation in the debate on the no confidence motion in the Prime Minister.
Rowley demanded to know why this person is employed by the government and suggested that she might be blackmailing the Prime Minister.
"I want to ask the Prime Minister...what does Reshmi Ramnarine have over you that you are so mindful of her?"
Read the story: Former SIA director changes name, working for government: Rowley
Persad-Bissessar slammed Rowley for abusing Parliamentary privilege to try to assassinate her character.
"I can’t see how that leads you to have no confidence in me because somebody change their name, that is nonsense, that is ludicrous, that is foolishness." Persad-Bissessar said.
"What worries me, Mr Speaker, is the spurious allegations made in an attempt to tarnish my character and something that’s a total falsehood and that is to say - the honourable Member said that for some reason I was being blackmailed.
"Mr Speaker nothing is further from the truth, I am not now, nor have I ever been blackmailed in my life, there is nothing to blackmail me with as I said before and I repeat today my hands are clean, my heart is pure,” she declared.
She challenged Rowley to make his accusations without the protection of Parliamentary privilege.
“Should he go out and make these spurious allegations, you know I have court clothes," she said. "Make your statements outside and face the consequences we here members will have redress in the courts of law and the justice system of our country.”
She asked Rowley to provide evidence to demonstrate that she encouraged wrongdoing."Not one single example, not one single piece of evidence,” she said.
“There were allegations with respect to airport contracts...I stopped the contracts and had them investigated when the allegations were made,” she said.
She also noted that when there was a conflict of interest allegation made against her former planning minister Mary King, she acted swiftly and fired her.
“You think that was an easy decision to take? There was evidence that she made omissions and how could I stand in the face of that, it was a hard decision,” Persad-Bissessar stated.
She also challenged the opposition's view of the economy. She quoted from the latest Central Bank report dated March 2:
"After an extended economic slowdown that lasted three years, some evidence is emerging the economy has begun to turn the corner, commercial bank credit to the business sector has expanded steadily since May 2011 as the Government capital programme gains traction.”
She stressed that under Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, Government has been able to stabilise the economy.
"What worries me, Mr Speaker, is the spurious allegations made in an attempt to tarnish my character and something that’s a total falsehood and that is to say - the honourable Member said that for some reason I was being blackmailed.
"Mr Speaker nothing is further from the truth, I am not now, nor have I ever been blackmailed in my life, there is nothing to blackmail me with as I said before and I repeat today my hands are clean, my heart is pure,” she declared.
She challenged Rowley to make his accusations without the protection of Parliamentary privilege.
“Should he go out and make these spurious allegations, you know I have court clothes," she said. "Make your statements outside and face the consequences we here members will have redress in the courts of law and the justice system of our country.”
She asked Rowley to provide evidence to demonstrate that she encouraged wrongdoing."Not one single example, not one single piece of evidence,” she said.
“There were allegations with respect to airport contracts...I stopped the contracts and had them investigated when the allegations were made,” she said.
She also noted that when there was a conflict of interest allegation made against her former planning minister Mary King, she acted swiftly and fired her.
“You think that was an easy decision to take? There was evidence that she made omissions and how could I stand in the face of that, it was a hard decision,” Persad-Bissessar stated.
She also challenged the opposition's view of the economy. She quoted from the latest Central Bank report dated March 2:
"After an extended economic slowdown that lasted three years, some evidence is emerging the economy has begun to turn the corner, commercial bank credit to the business sector has expanded steadily since May 2011 as the Government capital programme gains traction.”
She stressed that under Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, Government has been able to stabilise the economy.
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