Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday refused to say if People’s National Movement leader Dr Keith Rowley should apologise for comments he made on Tuesday that some sectors have interpreted as being sexist.
“Which comments are you referring to now? I cannot say,” she told the media before entering the Parliament at the International Waterfront, Port-of-Spain.
She was responding to questions from journalists about her thoughts on what Rowley had said and if he should apologise.
On Tuesday night at a political rally in Brazil, Rowley said: “She could jump high, she could jump low. She could drink this, she could drink that, she could bark at my dog because I will ignore she kyat.”
This stirred controversy as some sectors of the country interpreted it as an insult to women with an attached sexual innuendo. Some sectors of society also called on Rowley to apologise, but the PNM has said it was only political picong spoken in colloquial fashion and chastised the People’s Partnership for trying to use it as a campaign issue.
Several other Government Ministers gave their opinions when questioned by reporters before they entered the Parliament Chamber yesterday.
Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said, “Dr Rowley should apologise to the Prime Minister and all women of the country. What he said was obnoxious and vicious. Is that how someone who wishes to be the future leader of a country should behave?” he asked.
Devant Maharaj, Minister of Food Production, added, “It is a sad day for someone aspiring to be the Prime Minister to use such crude and crass language. Also marry this to his behaviour during Carnival.
“He has let down his own party the PNM. He should also apologise to the Prime Minister and women of the country.”
But PNM San Fernando West candidate Faris Al-Rawi told the media that the Government and its supporters are simply distracting the population from its own problems by its uproar over Rowley’s comments.
“The issue that is afoot right now is very curious,” he said.
“I did not see the UNC women coming out to speak about Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh being charged with relation to allegations concerning a woman and about the kind of statements she made and what she was subjected to. I did not see them talking about Dr Roodal Moonilal talking about women being moved like bags of alloo.
“It is part of a continued attempt to attack Dr Rowley. We in the PNM will continue to focus on the issues gripping the country,” he said.