Mark: Govt plot to remove Carmona

Mark made the comments yesterday during debate on the Tobago House of Assembly Election (Validation) Bill. He said the sitting was called because of the “ineptitude, lack of rigour, carelessness, incompetence, and even to some extent recklessness by the present administration”.

He criticised attempts by Al-Rawi to place the blame for the incorrect date of the elections on the President. “I do not support this attempt to place the entire burden on the shoulders of the office holder of the Presidency as well as on the EBC (Elections and Boundaries Commission) and seek to absolve almost completely the Government from any responsibility, accountability or blame for this egregious error,” he stressed.

He stressed that the letter sent by the EBC showed that the Prime Minister is involved and the AG, as legal advisor to the Prime Minister, cannot escape responsibility.

“Stand up, take responsibility and apologise for the error committed.

If you cannot do that tender your resignation immediately to the Prime Minister,” he advised.

He said the President was not responsible but “you (the AG) are using his name”. He reported that he would bring a motion about the administration’s “machinations to destabilise, discredit and remove this President before his term is up”.

“A conspiracy against the President of this country,” he declared.

Senate President Christine Kangaloo advised that Mark speak about that issue when he brings his motion.

Also in his contribution Mark called on the Attorney General to make the legal advice available which made him initially come to the conclusion that the election was legal as stated in a newspaper interview.

“I want to warn this Government and I want to give advice to the Prime Minister. I want to advise the Prime Minister that the sooner he can get rid of the Attorney General from his Cabinet...is the better for this Government.

We have been given too much substandard advice, opinion from this Attorney General...and it continues and I believe the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will be in severe difficulty if they continue,” he said.

Mark pointed out that leader of The Platform for Truth Hochoy Charles raised the issue at a public meeting on January 13.

He pointed out that the Government has the Strategic Services Agency and where was the intelligence to tell the Attorney General what was happening. Government Senator Paula Gopee- Scoon raised a point of order of relevance and Kangaloo upheld it. When Mark seemed to continue in that direction Kangaloo asked Mark if he was questioning her ruling.

He responded: “I never would do that.

I sat where you sat in the past...I acted as vice president as you know in another incarnation and I had the opportunity to act as President of the Senate. So I understand the responsibility. I never query and I would never question because nobody could have queried me. I understand your power because I had your power.” Mark stressed that the President cannot fix the THA election date on his own and that the Chief Secretary would never come up with a date without consulting the Prime Minister.

“Tell us the President is the one who fix election and call elections and you have nothing to do with that. Who are you fooling? The Prime Minister is responsible,” he added. He said the people of Tobago were being robbed of a full day and that one day could cause the PNM to lose elections. He added that he was not there to blame the EBC but did not call for a “tightening” of the agency.