The Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) yesterday renewed their call for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to call the election now. Speaking outside the Parliament building, Waterfront Complex, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, JTUM’s general secretary Ozzi Warwick held aloft the Mother Goose effigy as he said the Prime Minister was ultimately responsible for the decisions made by Government.
“Regardless of whether she fires ministers around her or not, she is the leader of the Government. She is ultimately responsible and cannot abdicate her responsibility by simply firing those around her who she feels may not be loyal to her,” he added. The group gathered minutes before the start of yesterday’s session which convened at 1.30 pm. The session began with a debate to amend the Motor Vehicles Act.
Calling for a new mandate from the people of T&T, Warwick said: “The electorate needs to be able to decide, so in other words we need to go to the polls. Call the election now. The Government has collapsed, the Government has lost legitimacy and the Government has lost the mandate it got five years ago.” Its demand mirrors that of the People’s National Movement.
Warwick called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to broaden his investigation into the issue involving former National Security Minister Gary Griffith, Police Complaints Authority Director David West and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley. “The PM was unable to condemn outright the actions of Anand Ramlogan but she was quick to accuse these other persons.
“It is alleged that the entire Cabinet had asked for Gary Griffith to withdraw his statement. In fact, everyday, more names are being revealed. We therefore call on the Commissioner of Police to broaden his investigation into this issue,” he added. He was referring to a complaint filed by West to the police accusing Ramlogan of trying to induce him to withdraw his witness statement in a civil lawsuit with and offer of the PCA post.
On Monday, the PM announced the sacking of Ramlogan and Griffith and called on West to step down.