UNC supports Kamla on Section 34 issue

Statement from Khadijah Ameen | Deputy Chairperson, United National Congress (UNC)

Khadijan Ameen

Never before in the history of Trinidad and Tobago has any Prime Minister fired any Minister of Government over an issue directly relating to the Minister’s portfolio or performance. UNTIL NOW. 

It has always been based on political difference, such as NAR’s Robinson and the Panday fraction; Patrick Manning firing Dr. Keith Rowley as Minister of Housing and even Dr. Eric Williams in the past.

The public’s call for this Prime Minister to speak on this matter tells us one thing: The population expects this government to act. 

The Honourable Kamla Persad Bissessar has shown, once again, that she will not sweep things under the carpet as was the norm before. I commend her, in the face of all the hissyfits, for staying her course, finding the truths and acting on them, not on emotions or in reaction to anyone’s outcry but on facts. 

The fact is that within 24 hours she caused Section 34 to be repealed, then got down to the business of finding the root of the problem and taking decisive action when she had all the information.

Ironically, when Rowley was fired as Minister by then Prime Minister Patrick Manning, he said the “PNM was the most corrupt he had ever seen” but he never marched, he never petitioned the President to call on Manning to take action. 

He did nothing, because he knew the PNM would do nothing. Kamla Persad-Bissessar acted! This is another example of reversal of ills of governance that loomed over this country for decades under the PNM. 

This clearly demonstrates that the old ways of governing is changing because of the tough decisions the Prime Minister has made on Integrity and performance, indeed, there is now more hope that right will continue to rise above wrong, and that there is in place a leadership that will not allow injustice to prevail. 

There is no question that this government operates with an unprecedented level of transparency, which often lead to detractors saying we have made more mistakes than governments of past. 

The truth is, much of the ills of past regimes were swept under the carpet, there was a general acceptance by the population that this is just the way things are. And they were. 

The tolerance for wrong doing is over, not only from the nation, but thankfully by the head of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

I am confident that we, as a nation, will be stronger for this. God Bless our Prime Minister.