ttgapers.com

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, newly elected Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has politely declined attending the CARICOM talks in Barbados, which also included a meeting with United States Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton. According to Persad-Bissessar, she and other parliamentarians have not taken their oath of office, and as such would be an insult to the people of Trinidad and Tobago who elected them.

Leader of the Opposition Keith Rowley is in disagreement to Persad-Bissessar's decision however stating, "The meeting with Hillary Clinton is a major issue to us in the Caribbean. The fact that there was an election and the Government changed cannot interfere with that, we still have a Government. The Government so doesn’t understand its role that she as Prime Minister is saying I am not going to this most important meeting, with this most important trading partner because I have not taken an oath in Parliament. Somebody must tell Kamla she is not the Prime Minister in the Parliament which is the legislator, she is the Prime Minister of the executive, she has taken an oath at Knowsley and that oath is good enough, she is now the Prime Minister."

Persad-Bissessar gave this explanation yesterday in response to criticism from Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley who said the Prime Minister's failure to attend today's meeting was 'a dereliction of duty'. "I was of the view that we have not been sworn into the Parliament and it is the people who elected us to represent them there. It would be offensive to the people to travel to represent them without taking the oath in the Parliament," Persad-Bissessar stated.

She said therefore a policy decision had been taken that no minister would embark on foreign travel on behalf of the people of this country, until Parliament is convened on June 18. Persad-Bissessar said that technocrats will represent this country at the CARICOM meeting and apologies were extended to Clinton and other heads for her absence. She added that Caricom was informed that a new government was elected and a decision was taken that there would be no foreign travel until the parliamentary oath is taken.

Dr. Rowley added, "To pass up on the opportunity to talk to Hillary Clinton on a serious matter of interest to us in Trinidad and Tobago is a dereliction of duty. So Hillary Clinton comes to Caricom to talk to Caricom leaders and Trinidad and Tobago sends technocrats."

Rowley said Persad-Bissessar has said that no minister will embark on foreign travel until the Parliament is convened but he pointed out Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner was in South Africa on FIFA business for World Cup 2010.