Couva North says no to Kangaloo

The constituents of Couva North through their elected representative, MP Ravi Ratiram have expressed their dissent over the PNM’s proposed candidate Ms. Christine Kangaloo to the Office of President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The decision by Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who is also the Political Leader of the PNM, to propose Ms. Christine Kangaloo as the next President, when such Office becomes vacant in March this year, is steeped in political bias and seriously calls into question the Prime Minister’s ability to ‘put country before party’.

Notwithstanding any Constitutional obligatory requirement that caused Ms. Kangaloo in her post as Senate President to Act as President of the Republic, such tenure cannot form part of any rational argument in favour of what Keith Rowley is attempting to shove down the country’s throat.

Beyond the fact that selecting long-standing PNM Member and Senate President Christine Kangaloo shows the inability of Prime Minister Rowley to recognize and propose any of the eminently qualified and experienced persons who possess the requisite suitability of being politically impartial, Keith Rowley has demonstrated that he only wants to appoint a marionette to the Presidency.

It is unconscionable that because of Keith Rowley’s usual raging-bull insistence, Ms. Kangaloo’s proposed ascension to the highest Office in the country – one that is supposed to be devoid of political bias – the Presidency will be forever tainted by the stain of PNM political partisanship.

Ms. Christine Kangaloo’s close family ties to the PNM cannot be removed with the simple stroke of a pen on her resignation – she will take those ties with her into the President’s Office and thereafter cast a permanent shadow on the impartiality that such Office demands.

The appointment of Ms. Kangaloo to the Presidency will call into question the appointment of every single Independent Office including the various Service Commissions, which is firmly rooted on the principle of separation of powers. This is not just a feature of the title or office of the President of the Republic, but is concomitant with the Office-holder himself/herself.

The appointment of the nine (9) Senators under Section 40 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago which has, until recently, traditionally been associated with independence and political neutrality, will once again be open to question by the local and international community.

It is MP Ratiram’s firm belief and that of the people of Couva North that Ms. Christine Kangaloo is a most unsuitable candidate for the Office of President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

MP Ratiram calls on Prime Minister Keith Rowley to let good sense prevail over his evident political prejudice and rethink his tainted choice of candidate.