UNC, Gopio blast Rowley, Hinds

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday and Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath yesterday rejected Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s assertions that the UNC was plotting to destroy him. Ramnath denied that he ever made statements implying such to Junior National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds. Commenting on statements made by Rowley during a PNM public meeting at the Point Cumana Community Centre on Sunday, Panday asked: “What else did you expect him (Rowley) to say?” On references which Dr Rowley made with respect to his wife Oma and himself (Panday), the UNC leader said he would not be drawn into a debate on matters now before the courts.

Panday said he was certain that Rowley would agree with him that their respective matters should be fully and thoroughly investigated. On Sunday, Hinds claimed Ramnath told him that “UNC had already won the battle” and the Opposition was on a campaign to make the PNM “look bad” so they could never regain power. Hinds also said he could confirm a Newsday report which said UNC MPs made approaches to PNM MPs to drop the matter on the tearoom incident between Rowley and Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma. Both Panday and Sharma have denied that any Opposition MP made such overtures to the Government. “I do not speak to Hinds,” Ramnath stated. 

The UNC MP said he has had no conversation with anyone, not even the media, of the nature which Hinds was alluding to.  Ramnath said he will give the Privileges Committee his account of the tearoom incident when he goes before them today.  Newsday journalists Ria Taitt, Sean Douglas and Nalinee Seelal, Express reporter Prior Beharry and Guardian reporter Corey Connelly will also be interviewed by the Committee today. The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (Gopio) expressed concern at what it viewed as Rowley’s “implicit assertion of racial superiority.” Gopio warned that Rowley’s “bravado and racially-charged gun talk will breed resentment and disharmony in our already fractured society.”