(Trinidad Guardian) – Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said Prime Minister Patrick Manning appeared to be schizophrenic.
“It would appear that the way Manning speaks, he and the Prime Minister are not the same person,” Persad-Bissessar said. “Perhaps he may even one day use that in a court of law to explain away his actions when called to account. He may then say, ‘Your Honour, it is not for me to say what the Prime Minister did or did not do.’”
Persad-Bissessar was addressing a crowd of more than 500 people at the United National Congress (UNC) Meet the Constituents Tour at the Himalaya Club, Barataria, on Monday night. She said that it was both “bizarre” and “frighteningly true” to consider the “erratic behaviour of these two gentlemen—Patrick Manning and Prime Minister Manning. He would continue in this vein as he is often prone to do by speaking in the royal third person. So rather than say I would not do this or that, he would refer to himself as the Prime Minister.
“So maybe we should get Mr Manning to ask the Prime Minister what did he tell Calder Hart just before he quietly slipped out of the country?” She added: “Maybe Manning could ask the Prime Minister that one.”
Persad-Bissessar pointed out that Manning made constant reference to himself in the third person and would tell local journalists, “the Prime Minister will not be answering that question.” The Siparia MP said: “If we ever needed proof of a possible Manning schizophrenic personality it came into full flow this week when he addressed the media.”
Persad-Bissessar indicated that Manning should volunteer to ask himself about the Prime Minister’s role in the Udecott issue. “I want to, once again, ask both these men, on behalf of the people to whom you are both accountable, what was the nature of your conversation with Calder Hart just before he suddenly resigned and fled the country?” Persad-Bissessar asked.
“We, the people, demand an answer from you. You simply can’t arrogantly reply as Mr Manning did, ‘the Prime Minister will not be answering that.’ Who do you think you are?”
Persad-Bissessar called on Manning to “wake up” and recognise he was “a servant of the people, elected to the highest office in the land.” She said: “You are both legally and morally bound to account to the people and we are calling upon you now to account for your actions both as Patrick Manning and Prime Minister.”
Persad-Bissessar said: “What poppycock is this about the Prime Minister will not be answering that question. You take the people of this country to be fools? Answer the question or resign!”
