Trinidad & Tobago Newsday
Monday, February 5 2007
Robinson slams PNM, UNC, COP
By Clint Chan Tack FORMER PRESIDENT and prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Arthur NR Robinson, yesterday condemned successive PNM and UNC governments for never investigating why the July 27, 1990 attempted coup took place. Robinson also condemned the PNM, Opposition UNC and Congress of the People (COP) for continuously bringing this nation’s Parliament into disrepute by their actions.
No UNC or COP MPs attended yesterday’s celebrations at the Red House and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the re-opening of the Red House. Foreign Affairs Minister Arnold Piggott and Laventille West MP Eulalie James were the only Government MPs attending the celebrations yesterday. Piggott said Prime Minister Patrick Manning is still overseas and is due to return home on Wednesday.
Speaking with Newsday at the Red House, Robinson said Parliament was not only an enduring symbol of the country’s democracy “but a symbol of peace and justice in our nation.” The former PM, who was one of several persons held hostage in the Red House by members of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen during the attempted coup, said he remains deeply saddened to this day by the behaviour of members of “both sides” of the then PNM and UNC during that dark period in the country’s history.
“I don’t see how it (the attempted coup) could have happened. Just look at the events of 1990 and subsequent events and you will see that no objective attempt to ascertain the truth of the event could ever be obtained. This is going to be an eternal shame on our nation,” Robinson declared.
Robinson said the current crop of PNM, UNC and COP MPs were not upholding TT’s parliamentary traditions. He said the UNC and COP were only opposing for “the sake of opposition” and not advancing any constructive proposals for governance. “As of now, what happens is, it is a continuous attack and hostile vendetta against the Government of the nation. One must allow the Government to govern and oppose in matters where we have a constructive proposal to make. That is the purpose of an opposition. That is how I behaved when I was in opposition in this very Parliament,” he said.
Robinson criticised the PNM for not being as open, accountable or generous as it should be as a government. He said the Government should try its best to make genuine proposals and meet with members of the Opposition. “ I think that is necessary. There must not always be a contest for the population for votes,” Robinson added. He also lamented a lack of “genuine patriotism” by people in TT today.
House Speaker Barry Sinanan said he noted that only two PNM MPs attended yesterday’s celebrations and no Opposition MPs were present. Sinanan was aware that Manning was still abroad but said none of the other MPs informed him that they would not have been attending yesterday’s celebrations.
Among the dignitaries attending yesterday’s celebrations were President George Maxwell Richards and First Lady Dr Jean Richards, former president Sir Ellis Clarke, former Senate presidents Michael Williams and Emmanuel Carter, former House Speaker Occah Seapaul, former UNC ministers Trevor Sudama and Bill Chaitan and Tobago House of Assembly minority leader Ashworth Jack.
