Political Leader of the People’s National Movement Dr Keith Rowley says the latest allegations levelled at Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar by her former Cabinet colleague, Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner, are shocking.
During a press conference at the Normandie Hotel yesterday, Warner claimed to have had discussions with Persad-Bissessar regarding plans to help United National Congress financiers Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson.
Warner also claimed to have been in a room with three parties and witnessing cheques being passed between the parties and Persad-Bissessar.
He attempted to tie the events to the proclamation of Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act.
Rowley, who spoke to media before meeting with the Joint Trade Union Movement yesterday afternoon, said he was still in shock after hearing the allegations minutes earlier.
“I’m still in shock because even I couldn’t have believed that it was as bad as that.
“I had my suspicions but this is something where when I entered politics in 1980, I never dreamt that I would encounter this sort of thing in Trinidad and Tobago. I am still in shock,” he said.
Rowley also commented on the national debate which the Debates Commission announced would take place on August 26 and 27.
Rowley, who said the commission had assured him the debate would take place after nomination day, said while a national debate would be useful he would not be relying on it to debate with the population.
“There is no anxiety. We have been debating with the population and Government for the longest while.
“The biggest debating chamber in the country is the Parliament and I have been debating there for the longest while.
“The Prime Minister has been largely absent and she took the unprecedented step of using her majority to throw me out of the debating chamber so we are not exercised by any debate or lack thereof,” he added.
He said the PNM could speak to the people of T&T with or without any contrived debate.
“The national debate would be a useful thing. We said so from the beginning and we signed on to it very early. Other changes made by others, we are not concerned by that.
“It could be a useful thing if accomplished but if they don’t we get on with our campaigning as we have done for the past 60 years,” he added.