Opposition leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the Prime Minister is desperately attempting to shift the goalposts and raise all manner of red herrings and distractions, since his choice for the post of TT President, Christine Kangaloo, has “drawn the ire of the public.”
In a statement, she said: The Opposition has never questioned the legality of Kangaloo’s appointment; we question her ability to impartially represent the interests of all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. This concern is not based simply on the fact that Kangaloo is an active politician and former PNM Minister and Senator. It is based on her actions, especially her involvement in the unlawful termination of the Former Governor of the Central Bank, Jwala Rambaran.”
She added: “I remind the nation that it was the acting President, Christine Kangaloo, who signed a termination letter to unlawfully dismiss the then Central Bank Governor. It was the High Court that subsequently declared the Acting President’s action unlawful. The PM’s words today confirm that Kangaloo did so on the instructions of the Rowley cabinet. This is evidence that Kangaloo is more than willing to ignore the rule of law and the good of the citizens of our nation in favour of the unlawful instructions from her PNM masters.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “As President, Kangaloo will be able to appoint the Chief Justice, members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission, members of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and several other Commissions among many others and, surely the issue is whether she would make such appointments impartially or on the instructions of her PNM masters.”
“These bodies are meant to be independent of Government and Opposition, but Ms. Kangaloo’s extreme and obvious partisanship has been displayed not only on the political platform but also in her role as Senate President. These bodies will not have the independence required to keep the Government accountable and in check, as the Republican Constitution intended,” she said.
“Given his alleged actions in undermining the appointment of a Police Commissioner at the President’s House, I am not surprised that Rowley wants a candidate like Christine Kangaloo to be his presidential puppet.”
Persad-Bissessar said the Opposition filed the nomination papers for Mr. Israel Khan S.C. to be a nominee for President on Monday.
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