Abdulah joins Rowley in anti-government march

The Leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), David Abdulah, joined Opposition Leader Keith Rowley Tuesday in a march from downtown Port of Spain to President's House where Rowley delivered a petition to acting President Timothy Hamel Smith.

Abdulah's labour colleague, Vincent Cabrera, of the Banking and General Workers' Trade Union also joined the march along with supporters and members of the People's National Movement (PNM).

Rowley and his colleagues met with Hamel-Smith for about half hour before delivering the petition. He later told the crowd that he asked the President to trace the documents regarding the proclamation of Section 34 of the controversial legal bill "to make sure that at every stage in the proceedings, right down to the drafting of the Cabinet Note, that the country's rules, regulations and laws were followed."

Rowley wants to know how Section 34 of the Administration of Justice, Indictable Proceedings Bill 2011 reached his office to be proclaimed. The Bill was repealed last week in an emergency sitting of Parliament. Rowley and the PNM voted for the original bill and also for the repeal of the contentious section.

Rowley's petition is asking:

• that the President raise as a matter of urgency with the Prime Minister the outrage of the national community in this matter.
• that he demand an explanation from the Prime Minister as to the reasons for the decision of the Cabinet which acted in breach of the Parliament
• and
• that the President request the Prime Minister to let him have a written demand to revoke the appointments of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General immediately

Rowley said his petition has 25,000 signatures, which he was able to get within 48 hours.

Related: Commentary: Rattlesnakes bite because it's in their nature