Caribbean360: Backlash for T&T leader's Tomas aid comments

Backlash for T&T leader's Tomas aid comments
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Chris Hoyos on 03/11/2010 09:11:00
 
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Wednesday November 3, 2010 – Trinidad and Tobago’s
Opposition Keith Rowley is among a wave of people who’ve criticised Prime
Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her statement that the twin-island nation
would have to get something in return for helping Caribbean neighbours affected
by Hurricane Tomas.
The Prime Minister on Monday indicated that her government had already mobilized
two containers of foodstuff and would make a decision where to send it –
although St Vincent and the Grenadines has already been identified as a
recipient – but said there must some way in which Trinidad and Tobago would
also benefit, including through the use of local builders and companies in the
countries’ restructuring efforts. She had said she would discuss the aid issue
with her Cabinet colleagues and the Opposition.
Immediately after her comments were reported, there was a wave of criticism,
with many bloggers from Trinidad and Tobago as well as Barbados, St Lucia and St
Vincent and the Grenadines, which were affected by Tomas, describing her
comments as “heartless” and “selfish”.
There were also some who supported her, though, insisting that Trinidad and
Tobago had to look out for itself and that aid from the United States and
contending that other larger countries to the region also came with
conditionalities attached.
But the country’s Opposition Leader was not one of those. Rowley said the
comments had brought shame on Trinidad and Tobago.
The People’s National Movement (PNM) leader said he totally rejected “this
backward, colonial policy” and would have nothing to do with any discussions
or concept where humanitarian relief from the people of Trinidad and Tobago to
members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) “is tied to any conditionality of
self-interest”.
“We believe that in situations like these, we are unconditionally our
brothers’ keeper, to the best of our ability,” he said. “This action as
advocated by the Prime Minister can only serve to bring us shame and cost us our
valuable leadership role in CARICOM, which is so vital to our own economic
existence.”
Rowley also cast citizens’ memories back to the CARICOM Heads of Government
conference in Jamaica in July, when Persad-Bissessar had cautioned the rest of
the region that her country would not operate like an ATM machine for them.
That comment has been resurrected in the debate that has surrounded the Prime
Minister’s aid statement.
Then an apology from Rowley
Meantime, the Opposition Leader has apologised for criticizing
Persad-Bissessar’s decision to shut down the country last Friday, because of
“a cloud”, in preparation for the approach of Tomas.
"My use of the term 'cloud' was unfortunate and since it did give the unintended
impression that I was trivialising a serious situation, for this I must
apologise to the public. I have been roundly criticised for this comment,” he
said in a Letter to the Editor which was published in yesterday’s Trinidad
Express newspaper.
Although adding that the total shutdown was an overreaction, Rowley said he was
not opposed to the People’s Partnership Government taking precautionary action
in the face of a storm threat.
“It was simply a difference of opinion as to how we should respond. I have had
responsibility for a number of emergencies of similar or more severe nature
throughout the Eastern Caribbean over the years and will never be so reckless as
to make unwarranted criticism of Government for taking appropriate pre-emptive
action," Rowley said.
Tomas did cause damage in Tobago when it passed by on Saturday. Some parts of
Trinidad’s sister isle were flooded and there were also landslides, damages to
houses and destruction on farms.
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