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  • 6 hours ago
The political war of words between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the Opposition is intensifying. Today, the Prime Minister dismissed concerns that Government intends to raise electricity rates, while doubling down on her controversial remarks about Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and the PNM's leadership. Persad-Bissessar also accused Opposition MPs of giving Sport Minister Phillip Watts a free pass following his remarks about female parliamentarians. TV6's Urvashi Tiwari Roopnarine reports.
Transcript
00:00Following today's standing finance committee, opposition MP Stuart Young suggested that government intends to raise electricity rates.
00:08We pointedly asked the prime minister if that is the intention of her government.
00:13She dismissed the notion, telling TV6, quote, the PNM are just wasting everyone's time.
00:19Their MPs are just trying to say anything to get their media time and raise their public profiles.
00:24It's the normal bombast from the PNM that no one buys, end quote.
00:30Earlier today, the opposition leader Penelope Beckles condemned what she referred to as the prime minister's crazy and crass statements,
00:38which she said followed her revelation that the country is in a recession.
00:43On Monday, Passat-Bissassol launched a scathing attack on the PNM leadership and Penelope Beckles in particular,
00:50saying the only reason she became leader of the PNM was because the base of the party was too racist
00:56to support a half-Chinese, half-Indian descendant in Stuart Young.
01:01Today, the PM doubled down on her critique, saying, quote,
01:05I never attacked her, I just stated the truth.
01:08She's only the leader of the PNM because Stuart Young isn't Afro-Trinidadian.
01:13The hardcore racist PNM base couldn't stomach a half-Indian-Chinese leader of the PNM.
01:20Everyone knows during the general election there was a campaign run against Stuart by members of his own party.
01:27The woman has no achievement in her political history.
01:31She's the rye ragbear of the PNM, end quote.
01:34The Prime Minister was also quizzed on if she thought the opposition abdicated its responsibility
01:40by refusing to pose questions to support Minister Philip Watts during yesterday's sitting of the Standing Finance Committee
01:47that followed his statements about women parliamentarians.
01:51The PM said, quote,
01:53They gave him a free pass because they were terrified he would expose more of their perverse behavior.
01:59They made a business decision to leave him alone, end quote.
02:02Orvashir Tomari, Ruknarain, TV6 News.