You can take a man out of the gutter, but you can’t take the gutter out of the man.
So said Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar, as he voiced concerns about the leadership of Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley on Thursday night.
Speaking at a COP meeting at the St Dominic’s Pastoral Hall, Diego Martin, in Rowley’s constituency, he said if the leadership was like that, then he had concerns about the followers.
“A fish rots from the head down and the rest after,” he said, noting he took issue with controversial remarks Rowley made at a PNM meeting in Brazil on Tuesday.
Rowley has been receiving criticism for remarks he made during the meeting, in particular, “She could jump high, she could jump low, she could drink this, she could drink that, she could bark at meh dog, I go ignore she cat.”
Ramadhar on Thursday said he had to “mash up” Rowley since the political parties were “at war” and T&T had to know what it was facing.
“The character of the man is in question and if it’s flawed, he can’t hold leadership,” Ramadhar added.
Saying elections were a straight PP-PNM fight, he said it wasn’t the PNM of Dr Eric Williams or “the gentlemanly leadership of Patrick Manning. What we have is a return to thuggery, gangsterism and division.”
He also criticised Rowley’s wining on a teenager during San Fernando Carnival and his “shameful response on that...This man has no respect for women, it’s an attack on every mother, every daughter, every sister.”
Pointing out that Rowley was a father and husband, Ramadhar questioned what there was about Rowley’s upbringing, his youth or background that made him “spiteful, hateful, arrogant, cold and abusive to women’s dignity?”
Sorry for rejected MPs
Ramadhar also asked what businessman Fen Mohammed, the father of PNM candidate Neil Mohammed, and Stuart Young would say about Rowley’s remarks.
He also said he felt sorry for PNM MPs Donna Cox and Nileung Hypolite, who were rejected by the party’s screening committee on Wednesday, and wondered what would happen to Diego Martin MP Amery Browne when he faced screening. He said Browne was one of the best and most decent, but such people were being removed from the PNM and “what’s left is a facade.”
He later told reporters it was for T&T to deal with the situation and not allow Rowley to lead the government. He said an apology wouldn’t change one’s character.
“We won’t allow a character flaw as obvious as this to be translated to government,” he said.
Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie, also addressing the crowd, asked, “What has Rowley done to warrant your considering him for leadership of T&T. If you weren’t sure, then Tuesday night’s platform statements (by him) confirm to you he’s not leadership material ... that’s a man who on a platform speaks like that in the hope of getting support?
He compliments me for removing (a CDA board member), yet goes on to stoke racial sentiments and disrespects the Prime Minister and denigrates all women. He’s achieved a new low for a political leader of T&T.”
Tewarie said Rowley had been devoid of restraint and judgment and had validated former Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s description of him as a “raging bull.” He said it was distressing that the public had to see a leader who aspired to high office behave in that manner.
“He lacks the temperament and restraint to handle power,” he said.
Tobago twang
PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi yesterday said that a subsequent statement by PNM’s Stuart Young on Rowley’s remarks wasn’t an apology and that Rowley’s remarks had only been Tobago colloquialism.
“Where was the UNC’s Women’s League when Mrs Persad-Bissessar was referring to Dr Bissessar’s pipe on the platform years ago?” he asked, claiming PP’s Roodal Moonilal had also made remarks about women and “a sack of aloo.”