Deputy COP leader upset with T&T PM

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun 15, CMC – A senior official of the Congress of the People (COP) party, Dr. Lincoln Douglas, has accused Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar of showing “gross disrespect” to the party as the debate continues as to whether or not Sports Minister Anil Roberts should have been removed from the Cabinet.



The COP is the second biggest partner in the four-member coalition government here and the party earlier this month suspended Roberts after he failed to cooperate in an investigation into whether he is the individual in a video showing a man rolling what appears to be a marijuana joint and partying in a hotel room.



Douglas, the COP’s deputy leader, who is contesting the June 29 contest for the leadership position, said “politicians continue to play games with the responsibilities entrusted to them, and insult the intelligence and integrity of the nation”.



Douglas, who is also the minister of arts and multiculturalism, said in a statement “in public life, there is the court of law, and there is the court of public opinion, and both of them are as equally important as the other as they determine how you are measured as an upholder of the public’s interest.

“The COP was well within its right to have disciplined Anil Roberts for his politically irresponsible approach in not cooperating with the party.



“The failure of the Leader of the People’s Partnership (government) to honour the core values of the COP—that persons in public life must be responsible and accountable—amounts to gross disrespect of the COP, its leaders and its members.



“Leaders must be responsible to their party and accountable to the nation. But no! The COP and its leader could not have been afforded that respect! It’s similar to two parents living in a home where one made a decision to discipline a child the others says ‘nah! Leave the chile alone nah’. How could this be respectful of the partners? How could this be supportive to the People’s Partnership?”



Last week, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar acknowledged that there “has been a clamour in some quarters for me to have taken immediate action in relation to allegations made against Minister of Sport Anil Roberts”.



But she said having received a full report from Roberts “the matter does not require my consideration at this time” and that while she has the authority to make decisions, she allowed the COP, of which Roberts is a member, to address the issue.



“I am not judge or jury. I can only weigh the statements made by any member of my government against the evidence or lack thereof presented to me. I hold fast and true to the inviolable principle of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.



“After considering the strong denials made by the honourable minister, and having regard to the fact that there exists no evidence to corroborate any of the allegations made against Minister Roberts, I find that there is no matter arising which requires my consideration at this time.”



In his letter, Roberts denied ever having used “any drugs inclusive of marijuana, during my tenure as minister of your Government.



“It is with great sadness that I have watched a relentless media campaign designed to defame, hurt and disrespect not only me, but my wife, children and unborn child, as well as my constituents, my government and you, my beloved prime minister.”



He said the “production of the video is an extreme form of mischief which places one in an unenviable place to “defend” oneself by making statements and pronouncements that in turn will be used in tandem with the video of dubious origin and delayed production to condemn the speaker”.



But Douglas said that the second issue that arises from the Roberts situation “is just as profound and destructive as the first having been disrespected” adding “what do the COP leaders do?



“They just take it and walk away. There is no defending of the COP, no defending of its principles, no defending of its sovereignty. No wonder why people are saying the COP has lost its way and has sold out.



“The real issue in all of this is that the COP has advanced a position on how an issue concerning one of its members must be dealt with.



“There is a principle and standard by which we deal with situations, and the COP’s position in all of this must be respected and incorporated into the decision making process by the prime minister, who isn’t only a prime minister, but the more importantly, the leader of a coalition of different parties.”



He said the way in which the ruling United National Congress 9UNC), the biggest partner in the coaition and the COP “interact with each other on matters like these must be revisited.



“Since the Fyzabad Accord (the agreement signed to bring about the coalition), there is the perception—and even reality—that there has been no meaningful mechanism developed to ensure a healthy coalition relationship,” Douglas added.



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