Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has taken a jab at Senator Varma Deyalsingh for “falling hook, line and sinker” for the Opposition’s reactionary input into National conversation and activity,” as it relates to the PM’s decision to repatriate national held in Syria and Iraq.
Senator Deyalsingh wrote an op-ed in the Trinidad Guardian, saying: “This hurried move (by the government) might be viewed as an attempt to nullify the announcement of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who, one day before, said she would repatriate” stranded Muslims in the Middle East.”
It follows a meeting between the Prime Minister and Nizam Mohammed, former Amir Kwesi Atiba and diplomat former Ambassador Patrick Edwards, on Monday 27 March 2023. The trio will function as a Committee appointed by the state’s National Security Council as a contact and Advisory group to assist.
However, Rowley, in Facebook post this morning, said, “It is amazing how supposedly sensible people can be so easily manipulated by persons of dubious character and who do things in the expectation that they can influence and control others.”
“So you really give thought to the possibility that she made this announcement and the Government, within hours, moved “hurriedly” to find three persons of the calibre of former Speaker Nizam Mohammed, former Amir Kwesi Atiba and a qualified and willing experienced diplomat former Ambassador Patrick Edwards, to function as a Committee appointed by the state’s National Security Council as a contact and Advisory group to assist with this very delicate matter?”
“You really believe that this was “hurriedly done to nullify” Opposition comments?
The Prime Minister continued by saying: “Could it not more clearly, also be seen, that it was the Opposition which jumped to attention to make a vacuous comment to be in on the action by promising without substance!”
“Did you not see, read or hear the Convener/Chairman Speaker Mohammed, state very clearly that they had been at work and had been meeting with the affected families and much of the leadership of the Muslim community and many positions had already emerged? Did you not see reference to the fact that this group had already been in contact with local representatives of Turkey and Syria, the main countries where this issue resides?”
Rowley asked further: ” How then could a columnist swallow as intended, that the Government advisory group is a reaction to the Opposition’s empty promise that was less than 24 hours old?
For the purpose of clarification, it was the news of a meeting between this group and the Prime Minister at Whitehall that triggered the Opposition’s attempt at seeking relevance by making a statement and naming their own eunuch committee.”
He said the state’s committee, duly appointed by the Government, was long at work and was in a position to report progress to the Prime Minister at the scheduled Meeting at Whitehall.
“Clearly, if anyone acted “hurriedly” with the hope of nullifying anything it was the Opposition and certainly not the Government, which quite calmly and effectively had qualified people attending to national business.”
Frankly, it takes more than a few hours to find and get the agreement of quality persons to carry out assignments like this. At least that much should form part of the consideration of any analyst.
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