T&T tourism minister resigns

(Trinidad Guardian) The People’s Partnership Government has suffered another blow, this time with the resignation of Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma. There had been calls for Sharma to be axed from the Government amid an on-going police investigation that he physically assaulted his former girlfriend and businesswoman Sasha Singh at Grand Bazaar carpark.

Chandresh Sharma
Chandresh Sharma

Sharma’s resignation came six days after Glenn Ramadharsingh was dismissed as minister of the People and Social Development for disorderly behaviour while on board a domestic flight from Tobago to Trinidad on March 16. Singh, who went public, claimed the blow was so powerful that she was knocked out. She also alleged that Sharma showed no remorse for his actions.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who accepted Sharma’s resignation yesterday, said her leadership was not formed “in the mould of loud and angry politicians” who felt that shouting and attacking everything was the best way to be heard. A statement issued yesterday by the Office of the Prime Minister said  Persad-Bissessar also advised President Anthony Carmona to revoke Sharma’s appointment.

In justifying her decision to accept the resignation Persad-Bissessar said, “There has been some discussion on the number of times changes have been made in my Cabinet. “I say that is a measurement of my commitment to maintaining the high ideals upon which we were elected,” Persad-Bissessar said. She added there was some discussion regarding the number of times changes  which were made in her Cabinet.

This, the prime minister said, was a measurement of her commitment to maintaining the high ideals upon which the People’s Partnership Government was elected. “There is no privileged escape, no allowance for arrogance, no forgiveness for indiscretion. Those days are gone, such compromise has expired. The responsible leadership which we promised to usher in a dawn of a new era is the new political currency.