T&T is being run by an absentee prime minister who delegates her responsibilities to her subordinates and neglects her responsibilities, says MSJ leader David Abdulah. Abdulah also says T&T’s foreign relations are in shambles because PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar had failed to appoint ambassadors to five diplomatic missions, including Costa Rica, Canada, London, New Delhi and the United Nations.
“The Prime Minister is allowing her political advisers to run the country’s affairs. We are not in favour of how Cabinet is being run. The Prime Minister is not on the job,” Abdulah said at a press conference in San Fernando on Friday. He said even though Persad-Bissessar was currently making public appearances distributing toys to children, this was not a key function. “If you want to distribute toys, go ahead, but you must also fulfil your responsibilities and appoint ambassadors,” Abdulah said.
He noted that on November 9 Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran admitted in Parliament that several missions were without heads. “If there are no accredited ambassadors, then foreign officials will interpret this as being disrespectful. They will say our government is sleeping on the job, because clearly we need ambassadors to represent us internationally,” Abdulah said.
He added that the United Nations General Assembly is now in session, yet T&T has no permanent mission to the UN. He also said the Government was adamant about building stronger relations with India yet there was no ambassador to New Delhi. Abdulah also said the Cuban Summit would be held on December 8 (today) to commemorate the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and four Caribbean neighbours—T&T, Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica.
He also called on Caricom heads to make representation to US President Barack Obama to provide a presidential pardon to Cuban intelligence officers who are imprisoned in the US for alleged espionage.
The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who have been imprisoned in the US since being arrested by the FBI on September 12, 1998 and convicted in US federal court in Miami in 2001, in a political prosecution by the US government. They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González. n www.freethefive.org/whoarethefive.htm