OPPOSITION and People’s National Movement (PNM) political leader Dr Keith Rowley says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar co-sponsored a United Nations anti-terrorism resolution last week merely for “public relations promotion” and without proper consultation within TT or Caricom. Rowley spoke on the issue in the media statement after coming under fire from Government officials for his previous criticisms of the co-sponsoring of the resolution. Last Wednesday, while the Prime Minister attended the UN General Assembly in New York, TT joined more than 90 countries in co-sponsoring a resolution to address the issue of persons travelling abroad to join terrorist groups like the Islamic State. At the meeting of the UN Security Council, chaired by American President Barack Obama, the resolution was unanimously passed by council members and scores of non-members including Trinidad and Tobago. Persad-Bissessar had told the media that this country cannot sit on the sidelines in the fight against terror. She reported that prior to the decision being made she had discussions with National Security Minister Gary Griffith, Government Chief Whip Dr Roodal Moonilal, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran, as well as other officials and local stakeholders On Saturday Rowley, addressing constituents at the PNM St Ann’s East Constituency annual conference, criticised the move saying it was best for TT to have passed up on the occasion. He said the country cannot afford to declare war on terrorists, “at a time when you can stay away” and “in any international issue, you put Trinidad and Tobago’s interest first.” He also predicted a backlash against the country. Rowley in his statement yesterday said the Prime Minister, “for public relations promotion, without consultation in the country or at Caricom, has co-sponsored a resolution sharply focused on ISIS and the developments directly associated with the geopolitics of the brutality and increasing instability of the Middle East”. He said it is was “disingenuous” for the Attorney General and others in the Cabinet, “to misrepresent the PNM position as not condemning acts of terrorism.” “At no time was it said that TT should not vote for the resolution,” he added. Rowley explained the PNM, which has successfully guided Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign policy since independence in 1962, “has consistently made a clear distinction between voting in support of a resolution as against sponsoring or co-sponsoring a resolution.”
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:25:57 +0000
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