(Trinidad Express) INDIFFERENCE overcame anguish in the Diego Martin West constituency of Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday, as people reacted to his suspension from the Parliament Wednesday. When the Express checked into Carenage, Glencoe and Diego Martin, emotions over the suspension were mixed but the majority of constituents interviewed said they “didn’t care”.
A handful were downright gleeful, saying Rowley had shown no compassion for his constituency whether in or out of government and at least two people drew their United National Congress (UNC) party cards to show their support for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
At Rowley’s constituency office in Glencoe, it was business as usual for the staff, who declined to comment on the grounds that it would not be appropriate.
But one man present in the office at the time of the Express visit was vocal in his dismay and vowed to lead a parade in Rowley’s defence.
James Thomas, the 62-year-old chairman of Party Group 1 of the constituency, said it was with a heavy heart that he witnessed his MP being banned from the Parliament.
He said the party groups in the wider constituency view this as “an abuse of the Parliament” and they felt that the same treatment should have been “meted out” to Tobago East MP, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin, when she insinuated in the House last month that Rowley was a product of rape and that he had knowledge, later in his life, of the rape of a young girl in his home of Tobago.
“What has happened is that the Prime Minister, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, cannot deal with the truth and Dr Rowley is a man of honesty, integrity and he tells you the truth,” Thomas said, adding that someone should be brave enough to tell Persad-Bissessar the truth about her actions. Thomas said government has shown itself to be “cowardly” in acting as its own court instead of taking Rowley to the Privileges Committee where, Thomas, said, Persad-Bissessar knew she would find no allies.
Thomas’ party group is also set to join the “Save Our Chaguaramas Committee” tomorrow in a march from Westmall to Chagville, where he said the opportunity will be taken to show support for Rowley.
