Caption: Zola Phillips
By Alicia Chamely
THE Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is refuting claims that Independent Senator Zola Phillips was appointed a temporary People’s National Movement (PNM) senator in 2019.
On Wednesday, the Parliament published a Facebook post and notified journalists in their WhatsApp group that accusations of Phillips being appointed as a PNM senator in 2019 were false.
A social media post showing Phillips allegedly taking the Oath of Allegiance as a government Senator during the 10th sitting of the Senate in 2019, was circulating via WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
The caption read, “Temporary PNM Senator in 2019. Temporary Independent Senator in 2025. How is Ms Zola Phillips a temporary independent senator in 2025 when she was previously sworn in as a PNM temporary senator in 2019?”
In response, Parliament posted on their social media channels showing the same picture with the caption being Zola being sworn in as an independent senator.
On Tuesday night, AZP news received the social media post of Phillips allegedly being sworn in as a government senator in 2019 under the PNM government.
This was, however, proven false as research found Phillips’ appointment documented in the Trinidad and Tobago Gazette, Volume 58, Number 95, published July 4 2019.
As gazetted, under section 44(1) and section 44 (4) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Phillips was appointed to be temporarily a member of the Senate, with effect from June 12, 2019, and continuing during the absence of Independent Senator Dr. Maria Dillion-Remy.
Over the last week, there has been both governmental and public speculation on the “independence” of Independent Senators.
United National Congress (UNC) Public Relations Officer Dr Kirk Meighoo, at a press conference at the UNC Chaguanas headquarters on Sunday, questioned the parliamentary neutrality of what he referred to as the “Presidents Senators.”
Currently, Phillips is serving as a temporary Independent Senator for Dr Marlene Attz.
