This story has audio and video clips.
By Prior Beharry
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley accuses the United National Congress (UNC) Opposition of organising candlelight vigils during the pandemic that caused the current spike in Covid-19 cases.
He was at the time winding up debate on his motion on Matters pertaining to the State of Public Emergency.
But Phillip Edward Alexander a member of the Candlelight Movement, formed after vigils across the country following the death of Arima court clerk Andrea Bharatt, said the UNC had nothing to do with the vigils.
Dr Rowley was slamming the UNC for saying that he encouraged 50,000 people to visit Tobago during the Easter holiday period.
He said Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan said that 50,000 people travelled between the Trinidad and Tobago and not that 50,000 people went to Tobago.
Dr Rowley said, “Twenty-five thousand people travelling one way and then 25,000 people coming one way is 50,000 people in between.
He added, “And they (UNC) would not accept that is what he (Sinanan) said.”
Dr Rowley said, “Because they want to say that the problem that we are in now is because we allowed 50,000 people to travel to Tobago. Madame Speaker, that is not so and I want to put that on Hansard because it was brought in here today.”
He warned the Opposition to be careful of asking for an investigation on the state of the country due to the Covid-19.
“The only country that I know of in the Caribbean where in the middle of the pandemic, the Opposition organised gatherings of people called vigils.
“Thousands of people for a month trying to exploit the death of Andrea Bharatt.
“And you asking me how we got here. What other gatherings took place in Trinidad during that period after we came out of February…”
Naparima MP Rodney Charles said that does relate to the President’s note of the State of Emergency which was being debated in the motion.
Speaker of the House Brigid Annisette-George overruled Charles’ objection.
Dr Rowley continued, “Let me repeat it. What other Caribbean country you know of that was fighting Covid that the Opposition paid for, organised night-after-night thousands of people to do night-after-night exactly what the virus wanted which was to bring people together during a pandemic.
“And who organised that Madame Speaker? It was organised by the UNC. They organised transport to bring people to venue and one particular venue…”
Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein objected via the standing orders. He said, “Madame Speaker these are the families of the victims who are mourning. Madame Speaker this is imputing improper motives.”
Shouting over Hosein, Dr Rowley said, “Get up and object – ‘you didn’t do that.’ You can shout as much as you like that happened in this country.”
There was desking thumping from the People’s National Movement MPs.
Watch video of Prime Minister Dr Rowley here:
Contacted for comment, Alexander told AZPNews.com that the last vigil of the Candlelight Movement was at Barakah Ground in Endeavour in Chaguanas on March 12 when there were about 200 people at the event that lasted for about two hours.
He said this was 33 days before the latest upsurge in Covid-19 cases which started on April 14.
Alexander said 14 days before this 50,000 people went to Tobago because the Easter weekend was around April 4 (Easter Sunday).
He said, “They didn’t magically appeared there. They travelled and to move 50,000 people between Trinidad and Tobago is a lot of humans pressed up against each other… 50,000 people require at the very least required 20,000 taxis.”
Alexander said, “The prime minister is being ridiculous, not disingenuous, ridiculous he is trying to bob and weave and duck responsibility for calling 50,000 people to Tobago.”
He said, “The Candlelight Movement vigil event was for two hours. What took place in Tobago took 14 days. Seven days of (people) travelling to Tobago, four days of feting in Tobago, seven days of travelling back.
Alexander said, “In all of those times, it gave the coronavirus – Covid-19- exactly what it wanted thousands of people pressed together for tens of thousands of hours.
“So Keith Rowley as Prime Minister if he wants to find who is responsible let him find the closest mirror.”
Alexander also said there was not interaction with the UNC regarding the Candlelight Movement.
He said no Opposition members were allowed to sign the petition at any of the events.
He said 128,000 people have signed the petition of the Candlelight Movement and accused Dr Rowley of stooping to a new low of calling the name of Bharatt to “score cheap political points.”
Audio of interview with Phillip Edward Alexander:
Dr Rowley you need to start taking blame and act responsibly