Rosemarie Sant
"Ill-advised and precipitous."
That's how Caroni East MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie is describing the appearance of former sports minister Anil Roberts on the platform at the United National Congress' Monday Night Forum in Diego Martin. Now, Tewarie says, the UNC must tell the country what Roberts' appearance stands for.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian about Roberts' return to the UNC frontline, Tewarie said he had nothing against Roberts, since "he used to sit next to me in the Cabinet."
However, Tewarie said he was working with Local Government candidates in his constituency and "was surprised to learn he (Roberts) was on the platform and more surprised than ever that he was a speaker."
He said he had told UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar how he felt about it.
Tewarie added: "The UNC must convince the country that it stands for something and explain to the country what it stands for.
"I consider this an essential task in the Local Government elections and in the days leading up to the next general election. The citizens of Trinidad and Tobago are fed up of politicians who stand for nothing and who will drift anywhere the wind blows."
Tewarie was one of the few MPs who agreed to speak on the record about Persad-Bissessar's decision to invite Roberts to speak on the platform on the same day High Court judge Mira Dean-Armorer quashed the audit report into the LifeSport programme.
Former Trade Minister Stephen Cadiz held a similar view, saying Roberts was "tarnished and his name has been called in questionable circumstances."
He said the audit which was quashed by the judge did not deal with whether there was "impropriety and there are still questions to answer."
He added that as the minister of sports at the time Roberts "has ultimate responsibility for the $400 million which involved monies spent in the LifeSport programme."
Cadiz, who remains a member of the UNC, said he did not support Persad-Bissessar's decision to bring Roberts back, adding it shows that "her judgment is totally off and she has no right to be political leader or Prime Minister."
Other UNC MPs spoke to the T&T Guardian off the record and admitted to being "shocked" by Roberts' appearance and admitted to being "even more surprised when he spoke on the platform and was asked about returning to the people's house because the matter was never raised with us."
Some MPs refused to speak about the issue, saying they were "afraid" to say anything and "they staying far from that."
Gag order on issue
The T&T Guardian understands that at a caucus on Tuesday, parliamentarians were told they should not speak publicly about the issue which has caused rumblings within the party.
One MP said: "It is a high risk strategy. It could either work for us or it could work against us."
Another MP said Persad-Bissessar took a "unilateral" decision and now "we wait to see whether there will be any fallout, especially in the upcoming Local Government elections."
There are concerns that the decision at this time would be "fodder for the PNM on their political platform" as the campaign for the Local Government elections heats up, since the police probe into LifeSport continues.
Asked whether he felt it would affect the party's chances at the polls, Tewarie admitted that "what happened in Diego Martin will affect people's thinking and their consciousness and will raise questions in their minds and will perhaps cause some confusion."
But he said it was up to the UNC "whether it is prepared to leave an error of judgment behind, speak honestly and truthfully to the supporters and do the required work on the ground for the Local Government elections."
But Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal does not believe there will be a fallout for the party. Rather, he said "members of the party should feel strengthened because we have to arm ourselves with political firepower."
Moonilal said while he "understood the concerns of other people, Anil is a compelling speaker who has always been a thorn in the side of the PNM and he has a role to play in removing Rowley and the PNM."
He said both Roberts and recently-appointed Senator Gerald Ramdeen "have a firebrand style. They are vociferous, well researched and are strong speakers. They will add to the firepower."
If Roberts is to be brought back to the "people's house" at this time it would have to be through the Senate.
Sources said yesterday that of the UNC line-up in the Senate, the person who he may replace is COP member Dr Rodger Samuel, who had a previous "disagreement" with Persad-Bissessar.
Moonilal, however, refused to speculate on who Roberts would replace in the Senate, saying that senators serve at the "behest of the Opposition Leader."