Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday remained defiant in the face of continuing criticism and calls from several women’s organisations for an apology in the wake of his “dog and kyat” remarks, offering none.
Instead, he said his statements were taken out of context and he would not be distracted by the furore being created over the matter.
When asked about his comments yesterday, especially in the light of the fact that many sectors of society had condemned his comments, Rowley opted to put the issue in his own perspective.
“I spoke for an hour and ten minutes in Brazil last Tuesday night and I raised three very important matters,” he said.
“One was the scandal of the dismantling of the audit functions at the National Gas Company, I raised the scandal of the rape of the treasury by the Attorney’s General office for the benefit of a selected handful of persons, I raised the matter of the grabbing of state lands by favoured people and I mentioned other matters.”
Rowley was fielding questions from journalists after attending the T&T Transparency Institute’s Anti-Corruption Conference held at the Hilton Trinidad, Port-of-Spain.
Pressed further, he said: “This matter you are referring to, as far as I am concerned, is of very little public interest. It is misrepresented by the handlers of the Prime Minister and her party.”
Rowley said citizens should not be distracted from the very important matters that were raised and which were not being addressed by the People’s Partnership Government.
He maintained that the issue was a distraction from the real issues, adding that he had nothing further to add.
During a political meeting in Brazil on Tuesday, Rowley had said he wanted no advice from the Prime Minister and suggested he would ignore her emphasis on him at her meetings.
“...And she could jump high, she could jump low, she could drink this, she could drink that, she could bark at meh dog, because ah go ignore she kyat,” Rowley had said.
The comment drew mixed comments from the public, but some women’s bodies have deemed it sexist and called for an apology.
Addressing the issue during a tea party in recognition of International Women’s Day on Thursday, Persad-Bissessar knocked Rowley, saying, “There is no wisdom in history that points to men standing on political platforms and deliberately insulting and denigrating women just because it seems to be a joke...I believe that every sensible woman would be offended and would see the comments as disgusting and outrageous.”