‘I don’t drink or steal furniture’ says Kamla

“I DO not drink and I’m not in the business of stealing furniture,” Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar responded yesterday to what she described as a “callous attack on all women of integrity” by Prime Minister Patrick Manning in the House of Representatives. The Opposition United National Congress also condemned the Prime Minister’s attack. Manning’s remarks aimed at Persad-Bissessar were in response to the Prime Minister defending “attacks” on his wife, Hazel Manning, Minister of Education. “I would like to tell the member for Siparia that the country now has a Minister of Education who goes to work every day, who is sober when she goes to work, who does not drink on the job — and who could account for all the furniture that she uses.”

Labelling the remarks “low and disgraceful”, Persad-Bissessar said it was an insult of the lowest order. Yesterday, the Opposition United National Congress issued a statement, saying that PM Manning had weakened his stature by his puerile innuendos against Persad-Bissessar. The statement said: “It was unfortunate that Mr Manning should use his parliamentary privilege to attack, by innuendo, the character of the Siparia MP, knowing fully well that the Standing Orders of Parliament did not allow her to reply at that time.” The statement said Manning’s outburst was caused by Persad-Bissessar’s contribution in the House of Representatives during debate of the Police Reform Bills. Persad-Bissessar questioned the Minister of Education on the SEA results which were issued on Thursday. She called on Mrs Manning to ensure that the SEA results were not contaminated. The UNC’s statement called on PM Manning to apologise to Persad-Bissessar. “Mr Manning’s behaviour was typical PNM.               

The PNM engages in character assasination to obfuscate its incompetence and failure as a Government to deal with the problems of crime,” the statement said. Persad-Bissessar had served with distinction in the Ministry, the statement said, and is not deserving of such character assasination. Fyzabad Opposition MP Chandresh Sharma told Sunday Newsday yesterday that his constituency executive, led by Haroon Awardy, condemned the remarks. Persad-Bissessar told Sunday Newsday yesterday that she had always had to maintain stature and decorum as a senior member of the legal fraternity. “As a politician, my constituents who voted for me overwhelmingly in the last elections, are more important that what Manning has said.”