(Trinidad Guardian) Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s decision to announce his retirement now “is a clear admission of his failure to lead T&T effectively,” but National Transformation Alliance (NTA) leader Gary Griffith, who thanked Rowley for his service to country, says Rowley’s move is a politically mature one.
Persad-Bissessar, Griffith and other politicians voiced their views after Rowley’s retirement announcement yesterday.
Persad-Bissessar said “… (Rowley’s) legacy is one of failure, division, and despair, leaving a nation in darkness. He should do the honourable thing and call the elections …”
She added, “Prime Minister Rowley has announced his intention to retire again. While I acknowledge that many will celebrate the conclusion of his political career, I must also address the concerns about his penchant for political manoeuvring.
“He and his PNM MPs, most of whom he has foisted on the population as candidates for the 2025 general election, have brutalised businesses and impoverished citizens, allowed a violent crime crisis and destroyed every independent institution in T&T. Rowley and his Ministers have taken us to a failed state with a lame-duck Prime Minister and Government. The Government is in chaos.”
She added, “Why make this announcement after calling a State of Emergency four days ago? It is clear that this SoE was a political gimmick that has already failed spectacularly.”
She claimed Rowley was “… engaging in a perverse, wicked soap opera within the PNM while T&T’s destroyed.”
“He’s crashed the country and abandoned the ship after raising his salary and pension,” she said.
“State security officers will not heed instructions from a lame-duck prime minister, local and foreign financial institutions and energy companies will hold on to most investments, credit access will be put on hold, and T&T will move into financial stasis until the next election. I’m informed PNM MPs and financiers are dumping their TT dollar holdings as T&T is on the IMF door, and financing from other agencies has dried up,” Persad-Bissessar alleged.
“Does Rowley intend to use his retreat as a platform to pressure and bully his party’s parliamentarians into endorsing Stuart Young as his successor? Will taxpayers be forced to fund what appears to be a PNM internal power struggle disguised as governance?”
Persad-Bissessar claimed his “disregard for democratic principles within his party, exemplified by the postponement of the PNM’s internal elections and special convention, speaks volumes about his leadership.”
She accused Rowley’s administration of interfering with independent institutions from the Police Service Commission to the Auditor General, and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Gary thanks PM for service to T&T, other reactions
NTA leader Griffith, meanwhile, has thanked Rowley for his 45 years of service to T&T.
“I wish the Honourable Prime Minister the best in his future endeavours and I wish to thank him for his service to the country. There will be many people who will be pleased for what he has done. There will be people who will be disappointed, upset or even hate him. That’s what it is to be in public life. Not everybody could like you, not everybody could hate you.
“I think that what he’s done, however, shows political maturity. He has understood when it’s time to move on, unlike others who may want to stay forever as they control a certain group—but it could cost their political party.”
He added, “Some people leave at the top, others know when it’s time to leave and if it is that what we’re looking at right now, it obviously will make a major spin in T&T’s politics as it may be the first time, if I could recall, that someone who’s serving as a Prime Minister is deciding to demit office whilst still serving. On most occasions, prime ministers have been removed from office or died whilst in office.”
Admitting that he and Rowley shared a mixed relationship, he said, “The two of us are two very headstrong individuals but I wish him the best. This has been a difficult period for him as he’s lost two brothers this year alone. What I recall, is him being honourable and mature enough that even when we had our political differences, he contacted me and sent his prayers and well wishes to my wife when she was diagnosed with cancer—in total contrast to another political leader in whose government my wife was a senator and up to now that individual has never contacted my wife.”
He added, “This is really a tale of two seasoned, experienced political leaders—one who’s won for the last ten years but decides to step aside, another who has lost for the last ten years and decides to remain. One decided to do the honourable thing and move on, the other decides she’d like to remain political leader forever. That’s their choice, we’ll see what is the outcome based on these decisions.”
Former minister in the People’s Partnership government, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, said it was clear it was being considered for a while.
“It’s important for a leader to know when it is time and he has been thinking for some time now that it might be time and he’s brought the matter to resolution. The challenge is now for his party, in the multiple quests for leadership, for the Opposition, who must address a different scenario and for T&T, which has to determine what kind of country it wants and who would best be able to create the kind of future that people envisage.”
UNC dissident MP Dinesh Rambally said, “Dr Rowley hasn’t been a good prime minister, but he has exhibited the traits of a good politician. His announcement of his departure from politics served to distract attention from the SoE about which he gave almost no information we didn’t have. On his expectations about the results (significant suppression of gun violence), this says nothing, since there’s no indication how this is going to be achieved. Neither did he give a timeline. His response on citizens’ recourse if men in police uniform who might not be legitimate policemen show up, and the concerns of corrupt policemen who abuse their powers, was also nothing more than platitudes, essentially asking the policemen to be good. None of this was acceptable or helpful.”
HOPE chairman Steve Alvarez said, “Dr Rowley has made a sensible political decision. T&T’s better served with new blood and young people. He’s apparently making room for the appropriate people to fill the political void. I really wish the Opposition Leader would follow suit so we can have fresh political blood in T&T.”
COP’s Wendell Eversley said, “Dr Rowley made a smart move. He must now have the UNC wondering because while they were thinking the PNM was one man, they’re now to find out the PNM is an institution. But Kamla isn’t the solution.”