The Entire Cabinet Should Resign

The news that the Prime Minister has opted to reshuffle his Cabinet ministers should come as no surprise.

This is yet another naked attempt by the Prime Minister to distract citizens from the scandals which have derailed his already collapsing Government.

The fact of the matter is that Rowley and his entire Cabinet should step down over their corruption, massive failures, lies, and inability to govern.

Nearly one month after the tragic events at the Paria Fuel company where four divers sadly lost their lives, Rowley’s government has yet to finalise the details of the official investigation or to hold anyone accountable.

After finally following the law and calling for a commission of Enquiry, Rowley has yet to name the full complement of Commissioners for the Enquiry.

The recent revelations made by the Occupational Safety and Health Agency(OSHA) saying that OSHA played no role in advising Paria to stand down from attempting to rescue the four trapped divers is extremely disturbing.

This statement by OSHA directly contradicts official statements made by Paria and points to a potential attempt at a coverup by the Government.

Further, the recent resignation of one of the inspectors from OSHA who was working on this same case only raises more questions.

If this was not enough, Keith Rowley’s now open declaration that it was he who intercepted the Police Service Commission Merit List at President’s House is beyond appalling.

The Prime Minister’s actions are a clear violation of the law and a blatant attempt to sabotage the selection of a Police Commissioner. This is nothing short of an assault on the Constitution and the democracy of Trinidad and Tobago.

Rowley’s dictatorial actions led to the collapse of the Police Service Commission and is the reason our nation is lacking a substantive Police Commissioner at a time when the crime situation requires a strong and stable Commissioner at the helm of the TTPS.

Rowley has also now implicated Her Excellency President Paula Mae-Weeks in a serious violation of the Constitution.

Rowley’s latest chaotic scrambled Cabinet Reshuffle is simply a symbol of an embattled Prime Minister drowning in his own lies and evident misdeeds.

Any Cabinet Reshuffle that has Rowley remaining as Prime Minister, Paria line minister Stuart Young remaining as Energy Minister, Fitzgerald Hinds remaining in National Security as crime spirals out of control, and Terrance Deyalsingh who has presided over thousands of Covid deaths remaining as Health Minister – is a complete waste of time. In fact, the whole Cabinet should immediately resign.

This desperate action by Rowley will not deceive the citizens of our nation. We will not stop demanding justice for the four deceased divers. We will not stop holding Keith Rowley responsible for his law-breaking actions regarding the Police Service Commission.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP
Leader of the Opposition

16th March 2022